Alice
by prettypinkbookworm
Summary: We all love Edward and Bella. But what went on in Alice's life, the life she can't remember? This is Alice's story, from her days in Mississippi to the asylum to meeting Jasper and falling in love. R&R please!
1. The Vision

A/N: This is the story of Alice from age 11 on up. I have no idea where I'll leave her story off but I thought it would be fun to hear about her life. And there will be some romance once she meets Jasper. Oh, and I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, no matter how much I wish I did.

July, 1911

_A fire was blazing. The flames roared high, eager to devour the tiny house they had been set upon. They prodded and poked at every weakness of the building, finding the rotted wood and collapsing supports or the run down house and consuming them entirely. The old wood was no match for the flames, and soon the walls began collapsing, the building splintering into pieces. Screams filled the night air, and smoke gave the entire picture a gray haze, somehow making the scene even more terrifying. With one final howl, the fire appeared to grow still, trapped in its final moments of sickening glory. It fixed into this final image, which began to slowly fade, finally disappearing entirely, leaving only blackness._

Alice opened her eyes screaming. Yet almost the instant she started, she stopped. The sultry Mississippi day had been like a slap in the face, bringing her back to reality before someone else had had to. Looking around though, Alice realized that there was no one around to even witness her little episode. She was alone on the porch of her dilapidated home, her sister off with friends and her parents in town. Slightly relieved by this realization, the cold truth of what she had just witnessed began to grip her. Because the house Alice had seen burning was her own.

Alice knew very little about her visions. She didn't know why they happened, when they would happen, or who they would be about. But she did know that futures weren't definite. Things could change; each future had hundreds of variables that could make it untrue, the reality remaining unlived. So the fire may never happen. It could just become another unlived reality, never hurting anyone. There could be nothing to worry about.

But maybe there was. An icy fear gripped her as Alice thought about the possibilities this could bring.

Biloxi, Mississippi had a volunteer fire department which did drills once a month, but they were there more for show than for protection. If the fire happened, people would get hurt, even die! The fire could spread, destroying the entire town, leaving children parentless and families homeless. Fear began building higher and higher inside of Alice, and she knew she had to talk to someone. But who? Alice had learned to tell no one of her visions. People already thought her strange, with her sudden trance-like states and knowing smiles. She was somewhat of an outcast in her town, and people tended to stay away from her. Many were even scared of her, making holy signs whenever they accidentally caught her eye. They all had their superstitions, and even the reverend seemed wary of her. Alice knew what she faced by telling her secret, but she couldn't not tell someone about the fire. Hundreds of lives could be resting in her hands. She decided to go to the only person she had ever mentioned her visions to before: her mother.

"But I swear it's true, I saw it, I saw it Mother, and it could happen any day now," Alice pleaded. Things had not gone as expected when talking to her mother. Alice was now on the verge of tears, begging for her mother to listen to her, not expecting the slap that came her way.

"You told me those things had ended years ago." Her mother glared at her as if she was some abomination, to ugly to look at.

Alice had never seen her mother like this. She didn't know what to do and huddled in the corner of the kitchen, shaking and sobbing. "I lied. I still have them. But it's not important Mother, they just come to my mind. I can't stop them, they come anyway, and they've never caused a problem before, most of the time they're not important, but Mother I'm scared this time."

Her mother looked sternly at her, silencing her ranting. Her tone was as cold as ice as she spoke "You will speak of this to no one, do you understand? There is going to be no fire, no need to go worrying me over the insane fantasies of an eleven year old. What would people say if they knew you said such things as 'I saw it in my mind'? You imagined it, Mary Alice Brandon, and I will hear no more of it. Now go to your room and stay there. You will have no supper tonight."

Alice headed meekly up to her room, her sobs quieting as her eyes ran out of tears. She had a feeling things were about to start going very wrong.


	2. A Demon From Hell

**Sorry it's been so long, but as you know, Eclipse came out. By the way, I don't own Twilight, never have never will.**

Alice awoke the next morning tired and hungry. She looked across the room to see her sister Cynthia still lying in bed, looking peaceful in her sleep. Downstairs she heard the clang of pots and pans as her mother prepared breakfast. But Alice had no desire to talk to her mother today.

Getting up and dressing silently, she tiptoed across the room to the far wall, where she knocked on every board, searching for one in particular. Finding it, she carefully pried it up and stuck her hand inside, searching for the cloth bag she had stuck in there months ago. Finding it and slipping it into her stocking, she climbed out her window, shimmied down the tree, and headed off toward town.

"When life gets you down, go shopping" Alice had once heard a rich woman say. Alice agreed wholeheartedly. Even being poor, Alice had always managed to earn a couple pennies here and there, and she always saved them for a special time. She had been intending to use this money for Christmas presents, maybe to buy Cynthia the dress she had been eyeing or to get a new watch for her father, who always seemed to be running ten minutes behind the rest of the world. Yet something told Alice that she would have bigger things to worry about come Christmastime than presents.

Heading into town, she saw the streets come alive around her. It was a Saturday so people would be free to stroll and shop as they wished, and shopkeepers were already opening their stores. She could hear the sounds of the processing plants in the background, as hundreds of workers, including her father, packaged the seafood that was the little town's main income. As the day grew, she began to see more wealthy walking the streets, apparently drawn by the charms of the up and coming town, but really thinking about expanding their fortunes with the booming seafood trade. They appeared to be hoping that buying something new would provide some distraction from the sweltering heat that was already threatening to be as bad as the day before. Alice knew how they felt; she was looking for a distraction herself, though not from the weather.

She meandered into and out of stores, buying a candy stick in one when her stomach reminded her of the missed breakfast. Eventually she found herself in front of the local hat shop, which Sarah Hartington owned. The milliner was always kind to Alice, occasionally giving her extra ribbons to tie up her hair with and always leaving her with a kind word. Even being a single woman, she was a prominent member in the community and took Alice's oddities as charms, never minding her sometimes vacant expressions. She was one of the reasons Alice was rarely teased; Sarah Hartington wouldn't have stood for it, and parents didn't want their children on her bad side. Alice decided to pay her a visit.

"Good morning Ms. Hartington," Alice greeted as she stepped through the door.

"Mary Alice, I hadn't expected to see you here today. Has your mother sent you for something? I've got a beautiful hat she might enjoy."

She smiled as she said it, but both Alice and Ms. Hartington knew she wasn't serious. Alice's family was much to poor to be able to afford trifles like nice hats. Still, it gave Alice an idea.

"Actually, I had some money saved up and was hoping to buy her a little surprise present. Would you mind showing it to me?" Maybe if Alice could buy her mother something nice she would forget about the incident the day before. She smiled as she thought of her mother's delight when she saw her new present. Forgiveness would make the money worth it.

Ms. Hartington quickly covered her initial surprise. "Sure, Mary Alice. It's right over here."

She led her to the back room where some of the nicer hats were kept. There, on a mannequin head sat a little white hat, one that was in the height of fashion this year. Alice looked it over critically and smiled. It was perfect.

"I'm not quite finished with it yet, I'm thinking of adding a little trim here. I know a couple of your mother's friends have had there eye on it, but this new material doesn't come cheap. I can give you a discounted rate though, and you'll be sure to have the first chance to buy it once I'm done." Alice nodded. It was plain that Ms. Hartington was being charitable, something her pride usually wouldn't let her accept. Yet Alice couldn't pass up a discounted rate at that price, and nodded in satisfaction. "I'll take it."

"Wonderful! It should be finished by tomorrow, and you can pick it up then. The afternoons are best…." she trailed off, seeing Alice's expression. Something was obviously wrong.

A blank expression had crossed Alice's face. Her eyes were fixed in place ahead of her, focused on a scene far away. "But you won't finish it. You will fall and get hurt, and you'll have to get to the hospital. You'll be in there months, and never regain full health." She said it all in a whisper, but in the empty shop it could be heard across the room.

Ms. Hartington looked shocked and taken aback. "Mary Alice, what heavens name are you talking about? Are you well?" She crossed the room, only to slip on a loose ribbon. It seemed to Alice she fell in slow motion, but in must have taken place in less than a second. She landed oddly, her body twisted as she tried to protect her head. Alice heard a crash, and a scream of pain, along with aloud crack that made her wince. She had knocked over a table as she fell, and it lay oddly on top of her.

"Help," Alice screamed, "Help!" She heard people rushing into the shop, already alerted by the crash. They rushed over to Ms. Hartington, but Alice got there first. And she heard the words that were meant only for her.

"I should have known. They always told me you were strange, something evil. I know it's true now. You caused my fall, all to steal that hat from me, and soon everyone will know it! You are a demon, Mary Alice, a demon from Hell!" With that she closed her eyes and slid into unconsciousness.


	3. Whispers

**A/N I have over 190 hits. And 4 reviews. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't add up. Hit that review button at the bottom. Tell me what you think. I update a lot faster if I know people are actually reading my story**

**Some people might be wondering "When do I get to see my favorite characters?" It's getting there. I just wanted to give a complete history of Alice, and I intend to do that. Hang in there. And, because I love you all SO much, I wrote a nice, very long, chapter. More reason to review people!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not going to make some funny comment right now about how I don't own Twilight, because then I would just sound stupid. So, I'll go with the classic "I don't own Twilight or any of the characters."**

Her parents were whispering. That's all the last few days seemed to have been, whispers and hushed conversations. It would abruptly go quiet the moment Alice entered the room, but they might as well have continued; she knew of what they spoke. Everywhere she went she was followed by them, these whispers and lies. And whispers could often lead to shouting.

Just that morning she had been playing with her dolls in her room when her mother had invited some of her friends over, determined to ignore the vicious rumors raging around town. The get- together had started out normal enough, the women making small talk about the weather and local affairs. Yet the conversations soon became hushed as the women began discussing the real gossip.

"So," ventured Mrs. Hunters, "Have you heard about dear Sarah Hartington? Took a rather nasty fall, I hear."

The room instantly went silent, with a couple women mumbling a response. Despite their own burning curiosity, it was clear they wanted to drop the subject.

But Mrs. Hunters was a persistent woman, and it was obvious that it was for this she had come.

"The crazy thing is, when she regained consciousness at the hospital, she swore it was a demon that had done it to her. Ludicrous, because the only person she had talked to all day was your own daughter, Margaret, dear Mary Alice!" She was baiting her mother, and doing it well. Her face was burning with outrage. Alice moved closer to the door in an attempt to hear better.

"What are you suggesting?" Alice's mother tried to control her emotions, but it was easy to see the anger in her eyes. Mrs. Hunters smiled; happy she had taken the bait.

"Well," she began slowly, as if weighing her thoughts, but really enjoying the moment "You have to admit, the girl always has been strange. Never playing with others her age, always on her own. Never quite connecting with anyone, as far as I could tell. It's not natural."

"How dare you…" Alice's mother began, her tone rising.

"I'm only saying what I have observed. And others have observed, I might add," she replied, matching her voice in volume.

"It's true," another woman spoke up, "She is rather odd. She gets these far off expressions, as if in another world.

"Or communicating with the devil," another woman added in a whisper, her tone dripping with malice.

"You liars. You evil, hateful people…"

"Oh, and I suppose you have never noticed it Margaret? Strange, because everyone else has. The whole town is talking about it, but you already know that, despite your attempts to ignore it. In fact, the whole town has been wondering for a long time. It was only Ms. Hartington who kept them from acting before, insisting that she was simply an imaginative child. But now, she seems to have change her mind." She was close to screaming, and her eyes were gleaming. She was relishing the moment, and milking it for all it was worth. The other women watched the face-off in silence, their eyes wide, eagerly waiting to see where it would take its next turn.

Alice's mother flew out of her seat in a rage, dashing across the room and throwing open the door with a bang. "LEAVE MY HOUSE NOW ALL OF YOU! You are no friends of mine! Go, now, and don't ever insult my family again! Out, out NOW!"

The women hurried to collect their things, not wanting to push any farther. They had gotten enough dirt to keep the town talking for weeks. They quickly filed out, with only Mrs. Hunters speaking.

"We will rid our town of this demon you hide." Margaret slammed the door in her face and collapsed against it, breathing hard. Silently Alice returned to her room, knowing it was over. She had seen it all not three hours before.

After the women left her mother had not mentioned the episode. And neither had Alice.

The house was quieter now, the only sound coming from the murmurs in her parent's room. Cynthia was preparing dinner, sulking because none of her friends wanted to talk with her anymore. Alice felt bad about that. Cynthia was the social butterfly, the pretty one of the family, and she hated to make her sister an outcast. It had never bothered Alice before, but she was sure Cynthia would mind. Cynthia was the sort of person who leaned on others, only being her best with the full support of those she loved. Now as she cooked it seemed to Alice she was wilting, not standing as straight, and losing the aura of confidence that seemed to surround her wherever she went. Alice's little episode was causing quite a strain on the entire family.

They ate dinner in silence, with her parents glancing at her and quickly looking away as Alice met their gaze. Was that fear she saw in their eyes? And hatred, hatred for the position she had put them in, disliked by all. Just as she thought she couldn't bear it anymore a knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it," excused her father gruffly as he walked to the door. He opened it and Alice saw a tall man in his early forties standing there, looking like he owned the place. His hair was black and combed nicely and his clothes were of high quality. Though Alice had never seen him in person before, she knew who he was from her visions.

"Reverend White, sir, is this the Brandon household?" His tone implied he already knew the answer, but would use politeness because of his position. In his hand he was holding a small briefcase. Alice wondered what was in there that he would need to bring into their home.

"That is correct. I'm James Brandon; over there is my wife Margaret, and my two daughters, Mary Alice and Cynthia. Would you like to come in?" Her father appeared nervous and kept darting glances at Alice's mother. Reverend White strode in quickly, glancing in distaste at the decrepit surroundings. Alice didn't need to have a vision to know that this would not end well.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted your dinner, but I come on a matter of urgency. Is there any place we might talk?" The Reverend's tone was brisk, as if he hoped to leave their ramshackle house as soon as possible.

"Let's go to the living room," suggested Margaret. "Mary Alice, Cynthia, why don't you go upstairs?"

"No," interrupted the Reverend, walking forward and placing his hand on Alice's shoulder. "Keep Mary Alice here. It's her I have come to speak to you about." Alice's mother seemed truly worried now, sending Cynthia rushing upstairs and leading them swiftly into the dining room. Alice's heart was racing. Though she had never gone to church, she knew the basic gist: God was good and the Devil bad. Lately there had been a lot of talk about demons and evil lately, and it had all centered around her.

The moment they were seated Reverend White began to speak. "I'm sure you have heard the stories being spread around town about your daughter. Now, as a man of the cloth, I usually don't pay attention to spiteful gossip, but the nature of these rumors concerns me. Sarah Hartington, a woman who I know to be a good and honest Christian, has been telling anyone and everyone that your daughter is some sort of…abomination. Now, due to the fact that she has recently undergone a traumatic experience, I would say it simply a side effect of medicines, but now others have He looked up at Alice's mother, who seemed to be shrinking against her husband. She looked so pitiful, so strained, and Alice felt for her. It wasn't her fault that her daughter had visions. Reverend White continued on with his speech, trying to use a gentler tone, obviously disturbed by her mother's frightened behavior.

"Mr. and Mrs. Brandon, I do not recall seeing you in my church over the past couple of years. Nor do I remember baptizing either of your daughters. Now, believing in the Lord is your personal choice, but I cannot permit Satan's servants work in my town. As head of this faith community and I cannot and will not allow it!" His voice had grown louder and vehement as he spoke of Satan.

"Are you saying that my daughter is some minion of Lucifer?" Alice's father struggled to get the words out, but as he did he glared at Alice in confusion.

"Mr. Brandon, sometimes it is possible to be possessed by the devil. He controls the very being, and while the person may have willfully allowed this, they might have also been forced into it. What we need to find out is which of these categories your daughter falls into, for I have no doubt that she is influenced by Satan." He spoke with conviction, and Alice's father seemed more at peace with his words.

Yet this was not true for her mother. "It's not our fault, Reverend, we swear we knew nothing of the girl's activities! If we had, we wouldn't have allowed her into the house at all, we would've taken her straight over to the church. We.."

"There's no need to worry," Reverend White interrupted, "You cannot be blamed for this. What we need to find out is if the girl can." He turned to Alice slowly, holding a bible in his hand. "Are you willing to swear on the Bible that you will answer my question honestly?"

Alice was nervous. She had never talked to any 'devil'. There had never been a poof of flame and a voice asking her to join the dark side. The visions just came to her, always had and always would. They weren't evil, in fact, she kind of enjoyed them. Yet she knew that she had to do whatever she could in order to get out of this mess.

"I'll tell the truth." She promised, holding her hand over the bible. Her parents sighed in relief.

"Mary Alice Brandon, with God as your witness, did you let this devil enter you by choice?"

Alice knew the answer he wanted. Yet all she really wanted to do was explain that the visions weren't bad at all, how they could be helpful. She wanted to tell him she didn't cause the fall at all, it was destined to happen, and there was nothing to do to stop it. She had only spoken aloud out of shock, not to put some sort of curse on her friend. But she knew it would only make it worse.

"No."

The Reverend nodded. "Since that is the case, we must try to get the demon out, for only then will the child be safe again."

Alice was taken aback. She had thought that her confession would be enough. Now they would get rid of the demon? How was something like that done? Looking over at her parents she realized they were surprised too. She had an uneasy feeling about them. They had acted like they didn't care about her, only about their own reputations. Were they concerned for her at all?

In front of her Reverend White had opened his briefcase and was carefully pulling out items and setting them on the table. They watched in silence as he laid out a cross, a jar of water, and a book of prayers. Finishing her turned back to Alice. "You'll probably want to lie down on the couch. We'll be using these holy items to rid you of evil, and sometimes things can get violent."

She lay down and he began whispering prayers, sprinkling her with water and holding the cross over her. Alice wondered if she should act as if having a fit, to give him something to make him feel like he'd done his job. She began thinking about how he whispered to, like everyone else. They seemed to be ruling her life! Yet now Reverend White was reaching a crescendo, no longer whispering quietly as he cried "Let the power of Christ free this child, and let her have no more correspondence with evil!"

He sat back, gasping, when Alice had a vision.

_They were arguing. A man and a woman, both insanely beautiful. Alice could see that their eyes were a deep crimson, unlike any she had ever seen. They had pale skin, yet it looked beautiful, every part of their bodies flawless in every way. They seemed to be arguing, though Alice couldn't tell what it was about. The man yelled that he was leaving, that he couldn't live like this anymore. The woman didn't look sad like Alice thought she would. After all, who wouldn't be sad when somebody so perfect, so beautiful, was leaving? Instead she looked frustrated, annoyed that he was going. They began yelling more, but they spoke so fast that Alice couldn't make out what was said. Finally the man turned away and began running, sprinting at a speed so fast Alice knew it wasn't human. As he raced away Alice heard the woman yell one last thing._

"_You can never return after this. You are no longer welcome here Jasper, and don't try to come back."_

_He kept on running, having a grace that Alice had never seen before. Slowly her vision began to fade and Alice could only concentrate on one thing. _

_His name was Jasper._

**Hey guys, sorry the part with Jasper couldn't be more romantic (I simply adore Alice and Jasper and would love to have gone into detail about how Alice saw him) but you have to remember that right now Alice is only elevenish so she really shouldn't be having to super romantic thoughts, if you know what I mean.**

**Now review, review, review!**


	4. Fire in the Night

**This chapter is dedicated to 8Ronnie8 and Canadian Bookworm for having an awesome username, leaving reviews, and liking my spacing. If ****you**** leave reviews, maybe I'll dedicate my next chapter to you…..  
I don't own Twilight.  
**  
Alice lay awake in bed. Across the room she could hear the sound of her sister's steady breathing, but it wasn't comforting as it had always been before. Now it just reminded her of sleep, a state that Alice seemed unable to escape to no matter how hard she tried. Too many things were running through her mind; the Reverend's exit especially keeping her on edge.

He had gotten up silently, giving a look of pure hatred to Alice when she came out of her vision. Apparently, going into a trancelike state after an exorcism was not a good sign. Gathering his things hurriedly he walked swiftly out of the room. The reverend finally stopped in the doorway, turning back only to say "I will not let a demon corrupt my town." He gazed at Alice while saying this, a look of contempt twisting his features, but like her parents, Alice saw a glimmer of fear in his eyes. Turning away, he climbed into the waiting buggy and rode away.

Alice felt a tear slide slowly down her cheek. Besides constantly reliving tonight's experience, she was also being bombarded with visions. She was used to this at night; her mind was open, and lots of people made resolutions to themselves before bed. But tonight every vision sent a stab of pain into Alice, for she felt as if they had betrayed her. The visions had once been fun ways to gain knowledge and gossip, a secret part of Alice's life that had made her feel special. Yet now the visions had double-crossed her, forcing her and her family into an impossible predicament. After tonight they would probably have to move away, starting anew in a city where they knew no one, and no one knew of them. It would be hard on everyone-her father, jobless and unskilled, unable to support the family; her mother working to keep her family together with no one to fall back on for support; her sister, friendless and depressed, yet not wanting to make it harder on her parents. Yes, her visions had betrayed her, and there was no way she would ever forgive them.

Well, maybe one way.

Ever since earlier that evening Alice hadn't seen a thing about Jasper. She longed to see his face again, to admire the grace with which he carried himself, to gaze upon that inhuman beauty. Something about him drew her in, made her feel connected somehow. Feelings only accompanied the strongest visions; with the fire it had been one of foreboding, but this, this was different. Alice felt as if he drew her in, spoke to some part inside of her that knew their destinies were interlinked. The feeling was powerful, and Alice felt it glimmer inside of her still. Trying to reconstruct his perfect features in her mind, Alice slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

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Something was wrong.

It took Alice a moment to recognize the smell that had awoken her. It seemed familiar somehow, as if she had smelled it not so long ago. The room was hot, like the air had been baked in an oven, and Alice suddenly realized this wasn't the usual Mississippi weather.

The fire.

Springing from her bed she raced across the room. "Cynthia, you have to wake up, now! We need to hurry, get up!" Cynthia rolled over on her stomach, mumbling something unintelligible. Alice silently cursed her sister's heavy sleeping.

"WAKE UP!" She grabbed a glass of water on the nightstand and dumped it over her sister's head. Cynthia sat up, finally awake, her eyes wide.

"What's wrong Alice? Did the Reverend leave? You aren't in trouble are…"

"Cynthia, I need you to listen to me! There's a fire, and we have to get out. Here," she said, throwing her sister a stocking "Breath through this. Now tell me, can you climb that tree?" Alice's voice was calm, but the speed of her words gave away the fear she felt. The house was so old, and they were on the second floor…No, don't think about that. Concentrate.

Cynthia's eyes filled up "I can't Alice, I can't. I won't be able to reach." They could now here the sounds of the fire, the old house creaking as its supports burned away. Alice could see the flames lick up the other half of the house from her window, and she hoped her parents had escaped. The room had become deathly hot, and smoke was beginning to burn their eyes. They would have to act fast.

Grabbing a stocking for herself Alice reached out for her sister's hand. They raced out the room and out the hallway, keeping low to the ground so as not to inhale smoke. It became harder and harder to see through the haze, and Alice was thankful that she knew the old house so well, yet as they reached the top of the stairs Alice realized this would not be simply a matter of not inhaling smoke. While they had been going through the hallway the flames had raced across the house, and were quickly enveloping the stairs. In a short time they would collapse.

Grabbing her sister in her arms she plunged forward. Her breathing became more labored as she struggled to keep the stocking over her mouth, and her eyes were burning. Alice tried to dodge the flames as she trudged on, but she felt a spark a flame reach up behind her and smelled burning hair. Snuffing it the back of her dress, she continued downward, the bottom looking closer. She tripped over a flaming chunk and in desperation reached for the rail, only to yank her hand back in agony as she realized it was white hot. Nearing the bottom, Alice saw the entire steps consumed in flame, and did what she could only think to do: jump.

They landed with a thud, but luckily weren't hurt. Alice put gently put her sister back down and grabbed her hand. She knew that Cynthia wouldn't have been able to make it alone. Even now she looked dazed and overwhelmed; Cynthia just wasn't the sort of girl who did well on her own. Grasping each other's hands they both dropped to their stomachs and slithered toward the door, praying that they could make it out.

The whole house began to groan, the horrible sound coming from all around them. Alice felt burns forming from the hot surfaces, but she had to continue on. With her last remaining ounce of energy she slid herself and her sister outside, getting up and running to the nearby bushes where they collapsed. Alice shut her eyes and slid into blackness.

**(Ok guys, I've never been in a fire so I don't know if this is accurate at all. I can only say I tried. You can give your opinion on how I wrote it if you push that review button down there.)**

"James, come quick, Cynthia's over here!"

"Is she with her?"

"Oh for goodness sakes I don't know why you'd care, but yes, the thing is with her."

Alice opened her eyes to find her mother standing over her. She was staring down at Cynthia, worry lining her face. Alice wondered why she wouldn't look her way.

"Oh, Cynthia, my poor little baby, let's get you some help," Margaret cooed. "Easy now, easy." She gently lifted her into her arms, wincing when Cynthia gasped in pain.

"Mother," Alice ventured, her voice raspy from the smoke. Margaret shot a brief glance at her, her face holding none of the compassion of moments before.

"I guess you'll have to come too. Hurry up, we need to get Cynthia to a doctor." Her mother headed swiftly away, leaving Alice to trudge meekly behind her. She climbed up into a waiting buggy, and Alice followed, glancing around before stepping up. The house lay in ruins, charred remains covering the entire neighborhood. From the looks of it the volunteer fire department had barely contained the flames, and the sides of both houses next to hers had burned away. Firemen were still there now, spraying water on wreckage to douse any remaining embers. Alice stepped into the buggy, giving a small cry as she felt a searing pain from the burns.

Alice faded in and out of consciousness, finally awaking to a scalding pain. She looked up to see the town doctor tending to her wounds, and gave a dry cough. Her throat was parched, and she motioned for water. Getting some she gulped greedily, yet soon sleep lulled her away. She was aware of continually waking and drifting back off, until finally waking to find herself full of her old energy. The sky was dark, and Alice guessed it had been two or three nights since the fire. She was sore all over and she felt blisters all over her body, but it was nothing compared to the searing pain from days before. In the other room her parents were talking in low voices.

"I say we just get rid of her. No one will need to know, we could tell them she died from the smoke. It happens all the time. Now that Cynthia's better we can go back to living as we always have, and no one will bother us." Her mother spoke forcefully, and Alice could imagine her eyes blazing as she spoke.

"But what will we do with her? You can't expect me to leave my daughter to die can you? Besides these past few weeks she's always been a good child."

"She's a follower of Satan! You saw the fire she caused when she feared the Reverend had discovered her secret. What do you expect me to do?" Her mother continued in a lower voice. Alice strained to hear. "And you know that she's always spoke of those 'vision' things. She's not right in the mind, James, surely you can see that."

Her father sighed. Alice knew he had been defeated. "All right, we'll get rid of her. But listen to my idea: we put her in an institution. She'll be cared for, and if we allow testing, the treatment is free. She could get better," he finished in a whisper, and Alice felt a surge of love for her father. He was the only one who believed in her, who stood up for her in any way. True, she would rather have stayed in the family, but Alice knew her mother would never have budged. She would rather leave then live in disgrace with her freak daughter. Alice remembered when she had stood up for her with the woman only a few days before. It had only been her own reputation she was worried about; she hadn't cared about her daughter at all.

"Fine. But we still tell everyone she died, it's the easiest way. And you better take her soon, or else I'll do it my own way."

Alice heard them both shift in their beds and then it became quiet, their breathing soon turning deep. It was strange how yet again Alice was the only one awake, so much like the night that now seemed ages ago.

Looking around for the first time Alice realized where they were. Though she had only been up here a few times before, Alice recognized the little rooms above Ms. Hartington's store. She wondered why they were here and decided not to worry about it. What would it matter in a few days anyway? She would be long gone then, off to some place for those who were insane.

Alice fought to keep the hopelessness that threatened to overwhelm her at bay. She wished she could shop. It would be so nice to loose herself in the world of nice things, where something could be yours with a simple exchange. Alice nearly laughed at the irony of it all; the fire, caused by her vision, the will to shop in Ms. Hartington's store. It was an endless loop. What Alice craved was a distraction, just like she had that day weeks ago. Suddenly a burst of inspiration hit her.

What was life without a little risk? What she needed more than anything right now was a little bit of fun; some small sliver of happiness she could cling to. And they were already in town….. Still, Alice didn't even know if he'd be home. Maybe she could wait for a vision.

The minutes seemed agonizingly slow as Alice carefully watched for the vision she wanted. It was more difficult than she had thought. She had never been waiting for something in particular before, well besides Jasper, but she hadn't had enough time with that to become truly frustrated. Alice wondered if she could cause a vision herself. Maybe, just maybe, if she concentrated hard enough she could get one to come at will.

Alice thought and thought her entire mind bent on the task. Just as she was about to give up, she saw a flicker of an image. She worked harder, willing herself to focus completely on what she wanted. After a solid minute, she was rewarded.

_They sat in the tavern, drinking beer. They entire group was laughing loudly: they were clearly drunk. They looked dirty and as Alice watched one spoke._

"_An thas how we get em out of our town, ey boys?"_

"_Did you see that go up? Poof!"_

This was greeted with a round of raucous laughter and everyone taking a chug of beer. As her view turned Alice was shocked to see she recognized them. They were all young men of the town, between 20 and 25, the kind of boys that caused trouble. Their group was made of about six, and they were covered in filth. But what really shocked Alice was the head of the group, the one who had laughed the loudest.

Reverend White.

Fuming with anger Alice put the pieces together. He had wanted her out of town, and had rallied up a band of boys to get the job done for him, setting a fire to the only home Alice had ever known. And they were proud of it! They were probably heading out to celebrate right now.

Alice was determined to carry out her plan now. Before it would have been just a note, but this, this meant a personal visit. A visit from the dead, as her parent's would convince him.

She crouched in his yard, watching as he staggered home. His drunkenness combined with her parents would help to convince him that she was actually there, a ghost with a mission. She sure looked the part: Alice had covered herself with ashes and charcoal salvaged from Ms. Hartington's fireplace, and she was still bandaged from her burns. Alice didn't need a vision to know that Reverend White would never condemn anyone again, no matter how sure he was of their evil.

Alice waited a few minutes before quietly sneaking up to the door, knowing he had left it unlocked from watching him. She hoped he hadn't passed out, but then she would just wake him up. Alice was on a mission now, and nothing would stop her.

She crept quietly through the hallway, following the smell of whiskey to a bedroom, where Reverend White laying dazed on his bed. Compared to the clean cut person who had appeared at her door days ago he seemed like he had aged considerably; the drinking had added ten years to his age. Alice wondered if he always got drunk and the Reverend the town saw was a well cultivated façade.

Groaning loudly, Alice walked slowly into the room, holding her hands in front of her as if a zombie. The Reverend sat up quickly, shock filled his eyes. Alice moaned and began to speak.

"Loooooooooook what you have done to me! I am deeeeeeeeeead now, deeeeeeeeeead! Your God is unhappy with yoooooooou for this, killing an innocent chiiiiiiiiild. Repent or paaaaaay!"

Alice could barely restrain her giggles as the Reverend's eyes grew wide with fright. He shrank back against the headboard, his body trembling. Alice felt no pity at all; he deserved every moment of this.

"You will neeeeeeeeeeever do this again, or the Devil himself will take you awaaaaaaaay! Do not persecute the innocent, or paaaaaaaaaaaay!"

The Reverend nodded quickly, his movement awkward. He looked just about to pass out from drink and fright, and Alice knew it was time to leave.

"Repeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeent!"

With that she walked slowly out of the room, and dashed out the house and out the door. She knew the Reverend would stay in his place.

Laughing with glee, Alice went back to the shop and washed off. Lying down to sleep, her thoughts turned serious as she wondered what was going to happen to her.

**So did you like it? Nice and long so stop bothering me Veronica and Jessie!!!!!! Now REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!**


	5. SMISH

**This chapter is dedicated to argetlamgirl and tonks-lumpin524 because they both gave me very nice and well-appreciated reviews. Oh, and I found this awesome video about Alice on youtube you guys should check out. Just type in Lithium Twilight/New Moon video. It was very helpful in writing this chapter. A little strange but very good.**

**I'll shut up now**

A raindrop slid slowly down the train window, leaving a small watery trail in its wake. It was soon followed by others as it began to rain harder, and Alice watched captivated by their complex patterns. A drop would seem to be heading in a straight line, only to be hit by the wind and blown another way, left to start all over again. Or maybe it would split into two drops, each going there separate ways, occasionally trickling out until there was nothing left but a streak of water to show it had even existed. Alice thought it seemed a lot like life; blowing this way and that, never knowing when you would switch directions or what would happen when you did. How easily you could be thrust away from all you've known, and left to wonder if you would simply trickle away or manage to survive.

Smoothing out her dress, she looked up at her father, who was staring at the floor with an anxious expression. They were on the train to Laurel, Mississippi where Alice would be admitted to South Mississippi State Hospital. The name sounded pleasant enough, but Alice was old enough to know that it was probably just an illusion, set to trick people into thinking they were doing good for their loved ones instead of abandoning them at the first possible place. Alice guessed that others probably realized this too, but let themselves be fooled to ease their guilt. She wondered if her father would also feel guilty for this, or if he would continue on with his life as if she had never existed. This would be easier for everyone she knew, but a part of her wanted him to feel ashamed, wanted him to hate himself for what he'd done to her.

A blank look crossed her face and Alice gently nudged her father, speaking softly. "Father, we'll be at the station in ten minutes, we should probably start gathering our things."

He nodded slightly and began getting things together. There wasn't much; the fire had destroyed most the family's belongings, and besides the dress she was wearing she only had two others that had been spared. There was also a mirror, brush, and ribbon, and something from every member of Alice's family for her to remember them by. A doll of here sister's, once beloved but now burned beyond recognition, an earring of her mother's, its partner long gone, and a broken watch of her father's. The last he had given to her himself, and Alice had felt tears brimming at her eyes when she thought of her plan to buy him a new watch for Christmas. Beside that there were only the basic necessities, and the bag was light as Alice lifted it from the compartment to the seat beside her.

They soon reached the station and Alice slowly climbed off the train, trying to drag everything out as long as possible. As her father checked a map on the wall she wondered if she was doing this all wrong. Shouldn't she be talking to her father, forgiving him, saying her final goodbye? The entire trip had been in near silence, only talking when necessary. But what would she say? What could she say? They say truth sets you free, but Alice knew nothing could get her out of the cage she was headed into.

Assured as to which direction to go, her father turned and led them out into the drizzly afternoon. Alice wished they could take a cab, but if they were poor before the fire they were now penniless. The train tickets alone had been more than the family could afford, and they had relied on help from others, saying that they were sending for help from relatives in another city. She wondered how her family would manage now, and if they would ever get back on their feet.

The hospital was a good three miles away, and Alice kept her head low so as not to be pelted by the raindrops now falling more and more rapidly from the sky. Despite wanting to take her time, after a couple of miles she wanted desperately to get out of the rain. She was completely soaked, her clothes feeling heavy with the wetness. Then they turned a corner and she saw it.

Alice's first thought was that the building had probably had been nice once. It was three stories high and made from a deep red brick, once new and strong but not crumbling and run-down. The center jutted a story higher than the rest, with wings extending on either side, and looking closely Alice could see many of the windows were broken or cracked. Overgrown shrubs dotted the front, and a tall fence surrounded the entire building. As they walked towards the entrance Alice could just make out a sign with the words "SO TH MIS ISSIPPI STATE OSPI AL" hanging over the door, almost indistinguishable it was so covered in leaves and other gunk. Glancing at her father, he stepped up, opened the door and headed inside.

They appeared to be in some sort of reception area, the space dotted with mismatched chairs. Alice and her father walked up to a woman sitting behind a desk wearing wide glasses and writing furiously.

Hearing their arrival the woman peered up over the rims of her glasses. "Who's the patient?"

"She is." Alice's father mumbled, pointing at Alice. The woman appraised her for a moment, and then looked down at her papers.

"Name?"

"Mary Alice Brandon." The woman shuffled through some papers, and finally finding what she needed looked up.

"Okay. You can go now."

Her father looked confused. "But shouldn't I take her in? Help her get settled or something?"

The woman only gave a reproachful look. "Sir, we find that the patient can be better helped if they are allowed to adjust on their own. We'll take her from here." At that moment a nurse walked in, and with a swift glance at the receptionist grabbed Alice's bags.

"Come along. The doctors will need to evaluate you." Alice started to follow behind her, leaving her father dumbfounded. Her eyes filled with tears as she forced herself not to look back, and she heard the bang of the door as her father walked away. She wondered when they would next meet.

She was lead down a long white hallway, lit by a single dim bulb hanging from overhead. The nurse kept a rapid pace and Alice noticed little as she walked, only that the inside seemed just as decrepit as the outside. The walls were a grayish color, and the tile on the floor was more often split or broken than not. They soon stopped outside of a wooden door with voices softly filtering out from inside. Opening the door the nurse pushed Alice inside and walked away.

The room was small and appeared to be an office of sorts. Alice saw three men sitting in chairs and assumed they must be doctors by their white coats and professional appearance. They appeared to be discussing something and it was only when Alice cleared her throat that one of them looked up.

"Sit down. Yes, right there. What's your name?"

"Mary Alice." The doctor who had spoken had gray hair and didn't appear to listen as he glanced down at a sheet in front of him.

"Yes, I see. Patient 2-4-6-0-1. It says here you believe you have 'visions' of sorts."

"Yes sir, I do. All my life." Alice figured she might as well be honest, seeing as she was stuck here anyway.

"Look, it says here someone thought she was possessed. Tried to do an exorcism. Superstitious fools." Alice frowned at the second doctor who had spoken, a younger one who seemed overconfident and arrogant. She didn't like how he talked as if she weren't there.

"Yes, yes. So can you tell me about yourself?"

"I'm eleven and a half, have a mother and a father, and one sister Cynthia. My house burned down a week ago."

The third doctor nodded, while the gray haired one seemed to consider her answer. "Doesn't _appear_ ill. Tell me about these visions some more."

"Well," Alice paused, considering "they come at different times, and they show the future. Not definitely," she added, "because the future changes. They've never caused much trouble before."

The third doctor nodded again, while the young one just smiled. She didn't see anything funny about it, not at all. The gray haired one, yet again, spoke for the group.

"Mary Alice, we doctors have developed what we think might be a breakthrough treatment. It will cure you of whatever you think is going on in your mind. Over the next few months we'll be testing it on you. You're free to go now." His voice did not sound kind as Alice thought a doctor's should, instead hard and firm, like a rock. Alice got the distinct feeling that didn't want whatever this 'treatment' was. She rose and walked to the door, where another nurse was waiting for her. She followed her out, and the doctor's began to talk amongst themselves again.

This time she was lead to a large room, with cabinets on the sides and a small metal bed in the center. It reminded her of the time she had gone to the hospital when she got pneumonia, and she wondered what they were doing to her.

"Lie here. Take off your clothes and put this on." The nurse handed Alice a long plain white gown and Alice began to change. "You'll wear this from now on. I'm going to cut your hair. It makes it easier." What easier Alice didn't know, but grabbing a pair of scissors the nurse walked over to Alice and began snipping.

Alice looked on sadly as her black locks fell limply to the floor. She liked her hair, in fact thought it was one of her better features. Her thoughts soon changed though, as her eyes focused on a distance far away and her expression froze.

_Jasper was in a dark alley, following a man. He was as beautiful as Alice remembered, but this time looked deadly at the same time. Crouching low, he leaped onto the man and sunk his teeth into his neck. Alice watched in shock as Jasper swiftly drained him of blood. Sadness in his eyes, he hid the body in a nearby garbage bin and ran away at that same inhuman speed as before. His eyes glowed a brilliant crimson._

Alice jerked as she came out of her vision. "There now, don't be so jumpy. It's just hair after all." Glad that the nurse believed it only to be a reaction of losing her hair Alice contemplated what she had just seen. True, she had known Jasper wasn't human, but a vampire!Vampires weren't real, they were myths, creatures of legend, and for a moment Alice wondered if she really was insane, her visions just imaginings of a sick mind. But no, her other visions had been real and there was no reason why this one wouldn't be. Hadn't she seen the fire? The gossip? The conversations? It was real all right, and this must be to. Alice was saved from further thought when she realized the nurse was done and was walking towards the door, expecting her to follow. Jumping up she headed out behind her.

She walked through the halls in somewhat of a daze. It was just too much, being thrown into a loony bin and realizing that Jasper, the one she had been dying to see, was a vampire! It was hard for her to even think the word, which had always been a word of fear, of hate. Yet somehow she couldn't bring herself to hate him. If he was a vampire, how was that his fault? He had to do whatever necessary to survive, just like everyone else. How could you argue with that? And, people had hated her too, and Alice didn't feel as if she had done anything wrong. And yet again, during this vision she'd had that same feeling of _connection _with him, like there was an unbreakable bond between them, some unknown force pulling them together. Alice almost didn't realize that the nurse had stopped outside of a metal door, and was looking at Alice expectantly.

"This is your room. You will stay here at night and for part of the day." She opened the door to reveal a small concrete room, furnished with only a metal bed, a small table, and a pot. A solitary bulb hung from the ceiling, and there was some small device hanging on the wall, to high for her to reach. Seeing her bag on the floor, she walked over to it, only to be shocked to discover that many of her things were gone.

"Excuse me, but where are my belongings?"

"We had to take them away for safety's sake. You won't need your old clothes, because you'll be wearing the gowns we provide you with. We also took any things that could be used as a danger to yourself or others. Now," she said, pointing to a small slot in the door, "Your meals will be brought through here, and you'll spend the day receiving treatment or with the other patients. If you need one of the nurses knock on the door twice, but it better not be a false alarm. You can use that pot for a bathroom. I'll leave you to get settled in." In a lower tone she mumbled "Welcome to Smish."

"Smish?" Alice asked.

"South Mississippi State Hospital. It's about as fun as it sounds." With that the nurse turned around and walked out the door. Alice heard the sound of a lock being slid into place. She was imprisioned.

Walking over to the bed, Alice sat down and considered her situation. It squeaked in protest, and Alice realized that it too was broken, the mattress sagging downward. Checking her bag once again she saw that the only things remaining were her sister's doll and the small hair ribbon. It was all she had now, and Alice felt a small tear trickle down her face. This was her new home.

**BTW, the asylum Alice is in is a real place. I have no idea if that asylum abused patients or not, but this is a work of fiction. And Ellie, the raindrop thing is for you! Review please! Ten points for anyone who knows where Alice's number is from. Oh, sorry Veronica!**


	6. A Shocking Day

Alice Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: (I know I haven't been putting these, but who really thinks I'm Stephanie Meyer?) I don't own Twilight or any of the characters. I do, however, own Jessie, Dr. Ramford, and any other OCs I introduce. There. Let's continue.**

Alice awoke to a buzzing sound overhead. Turning over she realized it was coming from the small device on the wall she had seen the previous day, only now she saw it was some sort of speaker **(I think they might have had something like this back then)**. Through the walls she could hear the same tone being played throughout the entire building.

_Rise and shine_, she thought to herself.

Standing up and stretching, Alice wondered what she was supposed to do. She had no other clothes to change into, and it wasn't like she could go fix breakfast or anything. Thinking of breakfast made her stomach growl, and she realized she hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day. She didn't have to worry long though, because she could hear footsteps down the hall. The sound was followed by the clanging of a tray hitting the floor, and a scrape as it was pushed under a door. The routine were repeated down the hall, finally reaching her room, and Alice watched as a small green tray was pushed into her cell.

It contained a large pile of some mushy yellow substance and a couple of wrinkled grapes, with two white pills on the side. Alice didn't know what the pills were for, but decided not to take them, and threw them into her bag. The rest she forced down, but the entire thing left a bad taste in her mouth and she prayed lunch would be better. She didn't know if she would be able to stomach this.

Alice knew she would probably be put with the other patients soon, and wondered what they would be like. Would they be like her, victims of unfortunate circumstances and ignorant people, or would they be the insane people tended to think of, raving and shouting, their minds lost. Her question was soon answered when she heard the click of a lock and watched her door swing open.

There in the hallway ten people and a nurse stood, motioning for Alice to follow and closing the door behind her. They began moving to the next room, and Alice surveyed the patients around her. They varied in age, from young to old, and were an even mix of men and women. Most were mumbling to themselves, some just staring blankly into space, shuffling forward at a slow pace. Others seemed tired, as if woken from some deep slumber, yet Alice noticed one girl different from the rest. She was glancing everywhere with a frightened expression as if expecting something to leap out at her at any moment and was thin and pale. She pitied the girl, who was not much older than her, and wondered what was wrong with her. It didn't look like she was doing very well.

After weaving through two more hallways and gathering a group of about thirty the nurse lead them to what appeared to be a small sitting area. Alice watched as everyone drifted to a certain area, each having their own special spots and places. She supposed this was "spending time with the other patients" and wondered what to do. Deciding to follow the rest she walked to a deserted corner and sat down, observing the patients in the room. Presently the girl came and sat beside her, giving a nervous glance around. Alice realized she was about her age, and had blond hair and blue eyes.

"Are you n-new?" The girl said the entire thing in a rush of words, her eyes darting around as she spoke, never able to focus in one place.

"Yes."

"Wh-what's wrong with y-you?"

Alice shrugged. "They say I have visions." The girl nodded in understanding.

"Oh. I h-hear people. They talk to me. Only, th-they're not there." Pausing for a short time, she appeared to consider this. "Th-they're never mean or anything. Just, there." She flashed a look at the nurse, and finding her picking at her nails in boredom, continued in a whisper "Wh-whatever you do, don't take the p-pills."

"Why?"

The girl motioned to everyone around them. Most of the patients were sitting still, staring into space or muttering to themselves. They rarely moved, and seemed almost lifeless. "Th-they make you like them. You f-feel nothing. You see nothing. Life is m-meaningless." She looked at Alice desperately again. "D-don't take them. Th-throw them away. I do."

Alice nodded. "Okay." Anything was better than being a living zombie. And though the girl was a little strange, she didn't seem completely crazy. After all, she herself had visions.

The girl smiled and nodded, but began fidgeting. "My n-name's Jessie. I'm going now. N-nice to meet you." She gave a small smile. "M-maybe we could be friends." Seeming unable to sit next to her any longer, she hurried away, her face down. Alice watched her leave. She liked the girl, felt as if they were in the same boat. Like her, Alice's visions had never been bad either. Maybe voices really did speak to her, what made it a bad thing?

The morning continued in a dull pattern, Alice not concentrating on anything as the hours ticked by. At lunch they were led into a large room and fed another round of goopy food, which Alice barely managed to swallow. As she finished eating a nurse came over to her, glancing at a clipboard in her hand.

"Patient 2-4-6-0-1, Mary Alice Brandon?" Alice nodded.

"Come. It's time for treatment." She led her into a large room filled with strange instruments. In the center was a bed, and Alice's stomach did a little flip as she took in the restraints on it. Standing in the room was the young doctor from the day before, checking one of the various beeping machines. Satisfied, he turned to Alice.

"You think you have visions, correct?"

"Yes." Well, she didn't _think_ she had visions, she _had_ them, but Alice had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate her bringing this up.

He nodded. "My name is Dr. Ramford, and I will be conducting an experiment to see if we can rid you of these 'visions'. Now, lie down over there."

Alice got up onto the bed and the nurse came over and strapped her in. Her stomach did a little flip flop and she began to feel uneasy. She didn't like not being able to move. Bands held her arms and legs, and Alice felt her pulse begin to hammer. This was not good.

Dr. Ramford walked over to her and Alice felt two circular things being placed on her forehead. She began to sweat, her breathing coming faster and faster. The bed was cold and uncomfortable, the metal digging into her back. She wondered if there was some way _not _to have treatment. Alice decided she might as well try.

"I don't know if I want to do this."

The doctor s if she had just said something outrageous. "We are here to make you better, and this is how." He walked over to a machine and turned a dial. Then he flipped a switch.

Alice felt a shock jolt through her entire body, and her head throbbed. Her arms and legs began to twitch uncontrollably, and she screamed in agony as a searing pain spread across her forehead. The pain grew, steadily increasing and becoming unbearable, as if a she were on fire. She shut her eyes and willed herself away, trying desperately to make it stop. Her entire body felt as if being burned and she was flailing uselessly against the restraints, trying with all her might to get away. She saw as if through a distance the doctor turn the dial a little more, watching her with a calm detachment. At that moment Alice hated him with all her heart and soul, hated him with a passion like never before. How could he stand there, uncaring as she went through this torture? Then, all of a sudden, everything stopped, and Alice felt a hundred visions run through her head.

_Jasper running through the forest at top speed, his hair blowing in the wind…_

_Jessie sitting alone in her room, hands over her ears and muttering to herself…_

_Her father at his job, looking weary and depressed…_

_A nurse pointing at a patient and laughing…_

_A man with red eyes coming into her room, and Alice glancing up to meet his gaze…_

Suddenly she was back, and Alice felt the pain worsen. Alice screamed as she felt the fire spread through her entire body, her head feeling as if it was about to explode. In her mind she desperately prayed for it to end, hopelessness engulfing her as she felt it never would, like she would waste away in anguish in this hell for eternity.

And then it did. Giving one last scream she felt her arms and legs go still, and realized she was out of breath. Gasping for air she sobbed great sobs as the nurse unstrapped her and led her away. Alice stopped at the door, barely able to hold herself upright.

"Please, please, you can't do this again, anything but this." Alice could barely get the words out through her sobs, her entire being feeling drained.

The doctor only shook his head. "No, you need treatment every day if we are to continue our study. You need to leave now."

Weeping, she was lead away, back into her cell. She refused to call it a room now, because rooms couldn't be locked. It was a cell, part of a prison under disguise, and it was here Alice was exiled to.

She stumbled over to the bed, shaking, as great sobs racked her body. _Every day._ That was how often she would be tortured, how often she would be in that unbearable agony. How could they be so cruel? Couldn't they see what it was doing to her, the pain it caused? Did they care? She realized they probably didn't. She was just an experiment, Alice realized bitterly, something to be tested and analyzed. She wasn't a human, someone who could love and live life, someone to be appreciated and cared for. She was no more than a lab animal, forced to run mazes and be tested in the name of science. Alice wept at the unfairness of it all.

All of a sudden, Alice remembered something; her visions. For some reason, when she had gotten those brief images, the pain had stopped, and she had felt normal. They had been only flashes, and Alice struggled to recall what they had revealed. There had been one about Jasper, that she knew, and something about her father. Thinking harder she also remembered seeing Jessie, and knew they would have some connection in the future. But what had the last vision been, the one so distinct from all the others?

It hit her in an instant-a vampire. Here, no less, in her very room. For a minute Alice worried that he would kill her, but immediately dismissed the idea. She would have seen something as important as her own death, of that Alice was sure. How many vampires were there? And why did she keep seeing them? Somehow, her fate was intertwined with theirs, and Alice wondered how. She prayed she could survive the experience. Vampires weren't exactly safe company.

Time dragged, and at one point Alice received another tray of food under her door. There were no window in the room, no ways to mark the passage of time, and Alice was left alone with her thoughts. If a patient wasn't already insane when they came, Alice was sure that this would be enough to drive them over the edge. The loneliness and boredom was unbearable, and Alice had nothing with which to occupy herself. Only the occasional visions gave her something to think about. Some she enjoyed others she didn't. Through them she saw other patients, all in the same trancelike state as earlier, and watched the nurses eat dinner, smoking and talking about their dislike for SMISH. She also saw a vision of her sister, playing happily with her friends. Tears stung her eyes, and she hoped that her sister would remember her, remember the girl that everyone wanted to forget. Alice wondered how long she would continue to see visions of home.

Thinking of home made Alice think of the ribbon, and she pulled it out. It was about an inch wide and a deep red, the color of blood. Alice looked at it for a long time, silently rubbing it through her hands, enjoying the smooth texture. One part was beginning to wear away, and Alice was especially careful not to tear at it. It was all she had; she couldn't bear for it to be broken. Somehow it gave her a peaceful feeling, as if she were at ease, and she spent hours looking at it, taking in every detail, her mind drifting to faraway places.

Finally, the bulb overhead shut off, and Alice supposed it was time to sleep. She slipped into the bed, shivering at the cold, and closed her eyes. After what seemed hours she drifted into a restless sleep.

Her life would continue in this pattern for the next two years.

**This chapter was hard to write. I feel so bad for Alice. On a brighter note, someone guessed Alice's number! It's from Les Miserable, a musical. This chapter is dedicated to Jessie and Ellie because they will give me more time to update if I dedicate to them. It's also dedicated to All Dark Cherished for leaving a review for like, three chapters (which is awesome!) So now you know what to do, REVIEW!**

**There seems to be a general confusion as to why Alice lost her memory. That is what happens when you undergo electroshock therapy. I am making her lose it a little bit differently than normal for the sake of my story, and I justify this by saying that Alice is being experimented on, and no one knows how to correctly administer the treatment. So now maybe we understand the whole thing a little bit better.**


	7. Isaac

**If you read the last chapter before I edited it I just wanted to say that I changed it from six mothes to two years. Alice is now thirteen.**

"I'll lower the price to twenty-five, but that's as far as I'm going."

Jessie deliberated for a long moment, staring down at the ragged piece of cloth in Alice's hand. Her face was filled with indecision, but her eyes held only longing. Finally, the longing won out.

"I'll take it." She reached into a tuck of her gown and pulled out a handful of white pills, exchanging them for the square of fabric, as Alice had known all along she would. Alice quietly pocketed the pills and waited to see if Jessie had anything.

They were sitting together on the floor in the same corner they had met beside that first day, beyond the nurses' line of vision and completely ignored. Heads bent together, they made there trades undetected, enjoying their little game. Alice had thought it up a few months after she had been admitted, and it was easy to convince Jessie to go along. After having all their belongings taken, each was desperate for possessions of their own, and had developed a sort of market. They used the untaken pills as currency, buying and selling items daily. Mostly the items were small objects they found here and there; a small piece of plastic broken from a tray, an old light bulb, a cigarette from one of the nurses. Occasionally, though, they bought bigger things, such as chairs or tables in the cafeteria. Of course, they only owned these in theory, but it was fun to pretend nonetheless. Jessie had once joked that they could buy the whole hospital, if only they saved enough. They had both laughed, but as always the sound held an undercurrent of sadness - each was dying for freedom and their own things, and even the game couldn't hide all their despair.

Jessie shrugged. "I don't have anything today. The nurses have been keeping a close eye on me, and I hardly have time to look for anything." Her stammer had almost completely disappeared as she had gotten to know Alice, though other than that she was almost exactly the same as two years ago. She still stood at the same height, as did Alice, the hospital food lacking all forms of nutrition. In fact, neither of the girls would grow more than a couple inches in their years in the asylum, Alice finally having to settle at 4'10. Her hair, whenever it grew long enough in the two month period between shaves to be noticeable, hadn't changed either, still a light blond, while Alice's had gotten steadily darker without the sun to lighten it.

"Ok. You'll have something tomorrow though." Alice grinned at Jessie, and she raised an eyebrow.

"You're not going to tell me what, are you?"

"Not a chance."

They sat there for a while, talking about nurses that were especially mean or patients who acted up. Every once in a while Jessie would glance around quickly, but Alice knew better than to ask - Jessie would only reply that the voices were talking. Apparently her 'treatment' was doing about as much as Alice's, which meant basically nothing at all.

For a split second Alice's face grew blank, and she held very still.

_He walked up to the doors of SMISH, suitcase in hand. Opening the door he smiled at the nurse, who looked taken aback. Quickly recovering she pointed him to the right, batting her eyes and smiling in an overly flirtatious manner. He was handsome; about 5'11 and with dark hair, his sharp features giving him a deep and serious look. Nodding curtly to her he turned down the hall, entering a room and unpacking his things. Alice watched as he pulled out a mirror and looked into it. Staring back from inside it was a pair of deep crimson eyes._

"He's coming…" Alice whispered, turning to Jessie.

"The man from your visions? Jasper?" Jessie could recognize the signs of Alice's visions, and knew the man who dominated many of them.

Alice shook her head. "No. Someone else. I haven't seen him since two years ago, back on my first day here. Do you remember what I told you about Jasper, what he was?" Jessie nodded, fear in her eyes. Alice had shared everything with her, and it was easy to believe in vampires when you yourself heard voices. "Well I'm pretty sure he's one of _them_ too."

Alice swallowed hard. With Jasper, it was like she knew he wouldn't hurt her, if and when they met, because of the emotion that seemed to accompany her visions of him. The feeling of contentment and connection between them left no room for fear or unease, but this vision had not been nearly as strong, had held none of the emotion. Anything was possible. Alice realized the man would probably be arriving at SMISH soon.

"D-do you think he might hurt one of u-us?" Jessie's stutter returned with her fear, a scared look on her face.

Alice felt bad for scaring her only friend, but didn't know what else to do. Still, she was pretty confident the man didn't pose a threat to her. "No, I would have seen that. But be careful. I don't think he means us harm, but we had better be on our guard."

Jessie cocked her head to the side as if listening. "They say he'll be here in another hour or so. He's coming by train, but it's running late today." Alice nodded; like her visions, Jessie's voices were uncannily accurate. They both looked into each others eyes, there gazes locking as they each went off into there own worlds.

All too soon the nurses signaled it was time to leave, and Alice and Jessie stood with the rest of the patients and marched into the cafeteria. They ate in silence as always, until it was time for treatment, when each heading in a different direction to their separate hells.

Alice was used to the routine by now, but still shuddered as she was strapped in. She could sometimes control the pain, but usually it was the same agony as the first day, fire raging through her entire body. The visions would offer an occasional respite from the torture, but Alice never knew when or if they would come, and couldn't always depend on them to rescue her. Today she endured in silence, her mind preoccupied with what could happen with a vampire in the hospital. She hadn't been completely honest with Jessie, or herself for that matter. True, she was pretty sure that _she_ wasn't in any danger, but with Jessie it would be harder to tell. Most of Alice's visions were directly related to herself, and there was a possibility that she might not see Jessie being harmed. The thought scared her, and she could only hope that Jessie's voices would warn her if something was about to happen. In a situation like this the girl's gifts might be their saviors.

Eventually pain overwhelmed all of her senses and Alice could no longer think. She was almost thankful for it today. Almost.

Finally it was over, and shaking and stumbling she was led back into her room. Alice no longer cried after 'treatment'-she just sat there, numb. As she sat she thought. Why, for once, couldn't something good happen to her? Alice mulled over the thought, absentmindedly stroking the ribbon. Maybe she was just destined to have a miserable life. Or maybe luck had overlooked her, giving double portions to the next person in line. Alice gave a faint smile as the picture of a lunch lady with a nametag reading "Luck" handing a huge pile of SMISH goop to the next person in line, forgetting Alice entirely.

She was still thinking when there was a knock on the door. Alice tensed, but at the same time had to control a bout of hysteria; why knock when whoever it was already had a key, and Alice had no way to control their entrance anyhow? It seemed like a sick joke.

The door slowly swung open, and glancing up Alice suppressed a gasp. The man. What was he doing, here, in her room? Did she give her visions to much credit, and really hadn't seen her death? Panic flashed in her eyes and she slowly backed into a corner of the room.

"There now, don't be afraid. I'm just here to talk to you." The man's voice was perfect, the sound soft and smooth, every syllable crystal clear. It was a voice of beauty, and for a brief moment Alice thought he must be a wonderful singer.

_Don't be afraid_. The thought suddenly flashed into her mind, as if stuck there. _Don't be afraid. _What was this? The thought didn't seem like her own.

Without consciously registering what she was saying, Alice suddenly blurted out "I know what you are."

The man smiled. "Really? Would you mind telling me?" He didn't _look_ threatening, but Alice knew what those red eyes meant.

"A vampire." His eyes suddenly turned hard, and he gazed at Alice with an unreadable expression. Alice prayed she hadn't made a mistake. _Please, if anything happens to me, let Jessie_ _be okay_ she thought to herself.

"Mary Alice, is that your name? I understand you have some problems, and I'm here to help." He spoke slowly, keeping his voice even as if addressing a small child, his face looking as if he were wearing a mask. Slowly he walked toward her, yet hesitated by her bed. Alice realized he thought that she was mad, a cornered animal having to choose whether to fight or flight.

Fury raged through her. Couldn't someone, anyone, realize she wasn't insane? Where was the madness in having visions, when time and time again they had been proven to her? Propelled by anger, she stood abruptly and spoke with an icy confidence, leveling her gaze with the man in front of her. "I am not insane, and never have been, just as you are not a human. Don't lie to me, I know it's true. Your eyes mean you are a vampire, one of the cursed. Now tell me, what are you doing here, and what do you want with me?"

For a moment the man appeared taken aback, but quickly recomposed himself. For a brief minute he seemed to battle some internal war, deliberating, at one point his eyes turning a deep black. Finally though, he breathed out slowly and sat on the bed, beckoning for Alice to join him. She shook her head.

"I am a doctor, Mary Alice. Someone you can talk to, tell things. I am here to help you recover from you illness. Yet," a grim smile spread across his face, "you appear perfectly sane." He reached out his hand. "Call me Isaac." Alice stood still, not meeting his hand with her own.

"And?" Alice prompted. _You're wrong. He's not what you think_. The thought appeared in her head again without warning, and Alice shook her head back and forth. Now she really was beginning to feel crazy. Still, the man remained silent, and Alice sighed, wishing she didn't have to say the dreadful word again. "Are you a vampire?"

_This is crazy. Where did you think an idea like this? What's wrong with you? There's no such thing as vampires. You shouldn't be thinking like this. _Thoughts were flashing through Alice's mind faster now. It felt unnatural, and she began to tremble. What was this? More and more thoughts flooded into her head, all centered around the wrongness of her idea. What was this?

"Stop it!" she screamed, clutching her head in her hands. The onrush of thoughts was instantly cut off. This was too much for one day, to much to take in. Alice sank to her knees and began to cry.

Isaac looked at her sadly. Her tears seemed to upset him deeply, and he kneeled beside her, putting a hand on her back. Alice registered with a shock its icy coldness, and wondered if this was true for all vampires. She didn't know what to think now, though. Everything was to confusing.

"I am so, so sorry Mary Alice. I didn't mean to upset you." His hand gently stroked her back, leaving shivers in its wake. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, waiting for an answer. Leaning into her ear, he whispered softly.

"And yes, I am what you believe, though I know not how you know." Alice gasped. She had known before, but some small part of her mind had always doubted. How often do you meet mythical creatures?

"Did you do that, make me think those things? Can you all do that? Are you," she swallowed, "Going to….kill me?"

He gave her a long look. "Mary Alice, how much do you know of our kind? And how did you come to know it?"

"Well," she began, "I have visions. That's why I'm in here, someone decided that my vision made me insane. One day I saw a vision of someone with red eyes attacking a human. Ever since then I've known. I've never met one before, well, until now I guess, so I don't know much. Basically that you have super-speed and strength and drink blood."

Isaac nodded. "What you say is true. But did you know that some vampires have extra talents? We all have the inhuman strength and speed, and most of us are beautiful with pale skin and red eyes. Knowing these things it would be easy to pick out our kind, but most of us stay hidden. Some of us though, have extra talents beyond the norm, which make it easier to blend."

Alice shuddered. "Does this have something to do with those weird thoughts I kept having?"

"Yes. First, though, let me tell you my story. When you understand that you can understand who and what I am."

"I was born in the mid seventeen-hundreds, and from the time I was young was fascinated with the human mind. Perhaps this had something to do with how I could almost always get people to go along with my ideas, or see things my way. It was like I could put the very thoughts into their heads. As I grew I worked to learn more and more about how humans think, what goes on in our minds. I wanted to help people, especially those who were insane, and most of all I wanted to _understand_. I wanted to understand what was happening in the mind, to know its deepest secrets. One night, I was out walking to my office. I was about 35, and thought by most a little odd for my strange area of study. That night changed everything."

"It was late, and I needed to get a few papers I had left behind. I wanted to get there and back quickly, and took a back alley. I saw a group of people there, there stances predatory as they closed in around a small child. I yelled at them, trying to call them off, and one sauntered over to me with an eager look in his eyes. He lurched towards me, sinking his teeth into my skin. Then I heard a loud howl, and he left."

He paused, thinking, before picking up his story once again.

"I woke up alone and with a craving for blood. And after a time I discovered something; like my previous life, I held almost a power over people, only now it was magnified. I could literally implant a thought into your head, make you think exactly what I wanted. With this I could walk among humans undetected, without them thinking my eyes strange. It proved very useful."

"But turning into a vampire hadn't changed my desire to understand. I began to construct a new way I could study, and now more than ever I wanted to penetrate the great mystery that the mind is. I decided to try going to an insane asylum. There I would see if I could use my special ability to help patients there. And now I stand here, with you sitting across from me."

Alice looked at him with a mixture of curiosity, awe, and dubiousness. She finally asked the question she had waited for all along. "And what do you intend to do about your 'diet?'"

Isaac sighed. "Mary Alice, you have to understand, I must feed to survive. So," he began carefully, "I've developed a plan." Alice waited in silence.

"There are some here who are beyond hope. They themselves wish for their existence to end." He looked at Alice with pleading in his eyes. "I will help them with this."

A sour taste coated Alice's mouth, and for a moment she couldn't speak. She wanted to hate him. Yet she couldn't. She hated the doctor who tortured her, but Isaac had to feed, if only to survive. And he was trying to do it the best way he knew. _And_, she thought to herself, _Jasper has to do it too. I could never hate Jasper_.

She looked back at him with steel in her eyes. "Will you hurt me, or my friend Jessie?"

"Never." He said this with confidence.

"And how do I know you aren't lying?"

Isaac smiled a grim smile. "Your visions seem to tell you what you need to know. I doubt I could harm you without you being warned and taking action in advance. And I like you, Mary Alice, I really do. You're brave, and sensible, that I know, and I think you're a good person. And I do want to help you, very much so. I'm not an awful being, please understand that. Maybe we could be friends."

Alice thought about it for a moment. She was in desperate need for more friends.

"Friends."

**This chapter is dedicated to Zeurin and Faith (for FINALLY reading Twilight)**

**Leave me nice long reviews and maybe I'll dedicate one to YOU.**

**I'm sick of stories where Alice's vampire friend in the asylum is vegetarian. I mean, come on people, don't you think Carlisle would have met another vegetarian in his three hundred year wanderings?**

**Who likes Isaac? I do.**

**Hey, longest chapter yet! YAY!**

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	8. Memories Forgotten

**This chapter is dedicated to Twilight-day-every-day and geraldsgirl14. Thanks for all the reviews guys! This chapter should answer most of your questions.**

Isaac continued to visit her once a week throughout the following months. His visits were always a bright point in Alice's life, something to look forward too when treatments were especially bad or nurses were cruel. Sometimes he would sneak her food during these, which she quickly devoured. After years with only hospital food Alice had begun to appear emaciated and thin, her eyes flat and skin dull. The smuggled food was a blessing, something to keep her stomach from growling at night, and she often ate while he talked. That, in fact, was what they were doing now.

"And I believe that if I apply the thought at exactly the right moment I might be able to counteract hers, forcing her to think more normally. The brain could then continue with in this pattern of sanity, and she would stop talking to herself." Isaac spoke animatedly, excited by the idea, and Alice nodded absentmindedly. She licked the final crumbs off of her fingers, determined not to waste a thing. Alice understood little of Isaac's experiments, only that he believed he was making some progress. She was happy that he was doing well though, and tried to encourage him.

"How come she doesn't know it's you? When you did it to me I knew that the thoughts weren't my own." Isaac looked thoughtful for a moment, considering the idea.

"I'm not quite sure. My theory is that most people never give any thought to how and what they're thinking. Thoughts tend to flash through the mind so quickly that we rarely pay attention to whether they're ours or not. In fact," he smiled, "you're the only person who's ever caught me at it. I guess you have a kind of advantage, with knowing what I am, but most people generally don't notice anything different about the thoughts I give them." He sighed contently. "The mind truly is a fascinating place."

Alice laughed. Isaac was so dedicated to his work. If he were human she was sure he would be one of the greatest scientists of his time, his name going down in history. _Of course_, she thought to herself, _He can't do any of that now_. He would have to settle with his own private studies, learning as much as he could without being discovered. Alice thought for a moment, wondering how Isaac was doing on that front.

"Has no one noticed the missing people yet?" A small glimmer of sadness shone in his eyes, but other than that his face remained relaxed.

"No. If they have, they obviously don't care." Isaac stopped abruptly, not wanting to scare her, she was sure. Still, some strange curiosity formed inside of her.

"So who are they?" Alice surprised herself with her boldness, and swallowed. Did she really want to know the answer? After all, what if she had known one of them? But a part of her felt as if it was her responsibility to know, that she had let him stay and she needed to understand the repercussions. She knew the idea was ludicrous-she had no power whatsoever over him, and he could have easily killed her that first day without thinking twice. Now, months later, she knew that it was only his humaneness that had kept her alive. She winced at the irony the word held.

Isaac looked at her strangely, but answered. "Two elderly patients and a homeless man from town. None very happy with their lives. The hospital wrote the patients off as having died during treatment, and I don't believe anyone noticed the homeless man." Alice nodded, strangely at ease with his answer. _It's a part of who he is_, she told herself. In the back of her mind, Alice remembered that earlier she had another question to ask him. But what was it? She thought and thought, but couldn't remember. She must have sat there for a while, for soon Isaac looked down at his watch and stood up to leave.

"I'm sorry Mary Alice, but I have to go now. I'll be back next week, I promise. I'll bring you my food whenever I can." He smiled sadly and walked out of the room, the closing of the door sounding final to Alice's ears. Alice listened as he walked away, his long graceful footsteps growing softer as he retreated down the hallway. Looking down she found a piece of bread she had forgotten, and set it aside, deciding to share it with Jessie the next day. She yawned and got into her bed, which had been fixed by Isaac a week ago. Trying to get warm under the thin sheet she closed her eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

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The next morning she woke up cold, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to warm herself. As she prepared to meet up with the other patients she realized she had, yet again, forgotten something. But what was it this time? It seemed hover on the edge of her mind, always just out of reach, until she looked over and saw the piece of bread from the night before. That was it! She was giving it to Jessie. Scooping it up in her hand, she sat waiting for the nurse to come.

The rest of the day passed as normal. Jessie was thankful for the bread, and they both did their daily trading routine. Alice received her treatment as always, and finally at the end of the day found herself back in her room alone.

She sat there, staring at the wall, thinking about this morning. She had completely forgotten about the bread until she had seen it. This in itself wasn't strange, but Alice had been doing this a lot lately, forgetting things that had happened recently. More and more often she forgot to bring her pills to trade, and she constantly had the feeling that something was missing, but never knew what.

She decided to test herself. What had happened the previous day? Alice thought through it as thoroughly as possible, only to find that she had no idea what she'd done at lunch. Had she sat next to Jessie, or somewhere else? Which nurse had led her to treatment? It frightened her that she couldn't remember. What else could she have lost?

Alice thought back to her childhood, trying to remember everything. She did a mental tally of Christmases, thinking backwards. She was nine, then eight, then seven. She tried to envision her Christmas at six years old, the year she knew she had gotten her first new dress. She could remember wearing it, but what about receiving it?

She concentrated, and yet came up with nothing. Struggling, she tried to think of more things from when she was six, but nothing came to her. It would have been the year she started school, yet she had no idea who her teacher had been or what her first day had been like. Frantic now, she tried harder. She _had_ to remember something. This was her life! It couldn't just disapear! Alice worked and worked, tears spilling down her cheeks. Why couldn't she remember! What was happening?

Distraught she began sobbing. This couldn't be happening! How could she not have realized that she couldn't remember anything before age six? It hit her with an icy coldness-she hadn't _wanted_ to remember. Alice hadn't allowed herself to think of her family, her home, ever since she had been admitted, and now she had lost six years! Six years she would never get back, would never know.

In a haze of emotions she began pounding on the door, harder and harder, tears still streaming down her cheeks. This was worse than any treatment, worse than anything else they had done to her. To know that you can't even remember part of your life, that your experiences are disappearing before your eyes, and to know that you had no power to stop it causes a grief unlike any other. She pounded harder, bruising her fists against the wood. She didn't care; anything to distract her.

She heard footsteps coming down the hall, and the door was flung open, a disheveled nurse glaring at her. "What do you want you stupid girl? Do you think I have time for your crying?"

Alice struggled to control herself, her words unclear through her sobs. "Get Isaac. Please. I need to talk to him."

The nurse sighed, an annoyed look on her face. "Dr. Stauffner is on break right now. As I am. You'll see him at your weekly appointment." She moved to shut the door but Alice grabbed it, holding it open.

Alice tried to speak clearly, tried to convey the importance of her request, but she kept being overwhelmed by sobs. Finally she managed to choke out a coherent sentence. "Just tell him that Mary Alice needs to see him. Please." She looked up at the nurse, praying she would do this small task. The nurse sighed and nodded.

Alice stumbled over to he bed, her tears slowing as she became exhausted. She had nothing to do but wait, wait for the time to tick by, and pray he would come. She had no idea how much time had passed when she heard footsteps outside, urgent and swift as they moved through the hall. They stopped at her door, which swung open, and Isaac stepped in.

"Mary Alice, is something wrong? What happened?" Alice was suddenly overcome by emotion again, and began to weep. Isaac walked slowly over to her, sitting beside her and murmuring in her ear.

"It's all right, it's all right. Don't worry, it's going to be okay." He stroked her hair gently, his icy touch comforting. They sat like that for a long while, Alice finally crying herself out, the only sound her occasional hiccupping sob.

Her eyes finally dried, she looked up into his eyes, those deep pools of red that were her only solace. Taking a deep breath, she tried to explain.

"I c-can't remember. Everything from six years old and below, gone. I, I don't know what to do." Her voice quavered as she struggled to compose herself.

Isaac looked at her with compassion. "I am so sorry. So very, very sorry."

"But how? How did this happen?"

He sighed. "I can only guess, but you're treatment with Dr. Ramford is probably the cause. Electric pulses can sometimes affect memory." His voice was somber, and his eyes yet again held that sadness, that ancient grief that seemed to always haunt him.

Shuddering, she considered this. It was true, she realized, that the treatment had done this to her. It was so cruel to put he through that torture, and now they were taking away the only good times she'd ever had? How could they do this? Slowly, an idea formed in the back of her mind, an idea she had refused to let herself think about, not wanting to get her hopes up. But now she let it grow, flesh out, and looking up at Isaac, asked the question she had always wanted to know.

"Why can't you make it stop?"

He shook his head, his voice hesitant. "Mary Alice, I have tried. I have talked to Dr. Ramford, but to no avail. He will not listen to me, will not try something else. It is his experiment, and I would dare to say he is as passionate about it as I am about mine."

She tried one last time, her voice faint and desperate as she pleaded. This couldn't continue, he had to have a way to make it stop. "Couldn't you take me away?"

"I-I don't think I could do that. Don't misunderstand me, I care for you very much, but my life is not one for you. You would be constantly moving, never in one place for more than a week. I would have no way to get food for you, no way to get you what you needed. My kind is very different from yours, and there would be a greater chance of an….accident happening if I took care of you." He watched her with pity in his eyes, as yet again small rivers began to run down her cheeks. She understood, she really did. It just wasn't fair.

"There's one more thing. I tried to threaten Dr. Ramford, make him see my way. But it's become obvious to everyone that you don't take your pills. He puts up with it, but he warned me that if I brought his experiments up with his superiors that he would make sure you took the medication. I wanted to give you a choice-do you wish me to do this? The treatments would stop, and you would spend your afternoons here. Would you like that?"

Alice took a deep breath, considering. "What would happen if I took them?"

"You would loose emotions. Everything would become muted, and you would feel less. Less sadness, but less happiness also. It is your choice, Mary Alice, and I will not judge you for it."

Alice considered this. It was a tempting proposition. Not having to undergo the agony, the torture, was like a dream come true. Yet during her stay at SMISH she had always had a few bright points in her life, like Jessie or Isaac. Was she willing to sacrifice that? Would she give up all feeling for the sake of a rest, days without pain, or loneliness, meaningless as they passed? Was it worth it? Suddenly Jasper's face came into her mind, and the feeling that accompanied her visions of him. That bond, the compassions that flowed between them as she saw his beauty, his perfect hair and his deep eyes. With his face came a clarity, a knowledge from her heart, that answered the questions all at once. Nothing was worse than not living. And without these feelings, that's what would she would be, a zombie.

"No. I'll keep doing it." Isaac nodded, holding her hand, and gently stroked her back.

_You'll get through this._ Alice looked up at Isaac thankful for the encouragement, a determination overtaking her. She would forget, but she would still live.

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And so, time passed. Days blurred into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. Slowly, Alice forgot. Her childhood first, and then her early years at SMISH. Eventually the memory loss caught up to her, and Isaac gave her a journal to write in so she could remember basic information. Every morning she would read this, reminding herself that her friend's name was Jessie, her therapist was a vampire, and she was in a mental institution. She went through the treatment, the hunger, the loneliness, misery her constant companion. The days became hazier and hazier, eventually stretching into one continuous nightmare, with Alice as the star.

Things continued this way at SMISH for six years.

Until one day, a new vampire arrived.

**Ok, I am SO close to breaking one hundred reviews. Help me!!!! Get me into the three digits, and beyond! I love ALL of your reviews.**

**Next chapter we meet James…( I don't really count this as a cliffy, 'cause we all knew it was coming.)**

**I wrote this listening to Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Give classical a chance people. Bach is a genius. **


	9. James

**Sorry this is so late! We had a huge comp. assignment and I had a weekend without technology. This chappie dedicated to Trig and ****bostonREDSOXbabe**** 'cause I liked their reviews a lot. Thanks to all for helping me break 100!**

_The trees passed by in a green haze, indistinguishable as he ran through the forest. He ran at a steady pace, never tiring, always moving onward, onward. Vast distances passed, the forest giving way to rolling green hills and the occasional light of towns, yet still he continued. His burgundy eyes were constantly alert, monitoring his surroundings with a skillful eye, always watching. They looked alien among his plain features, his chestnut hair and oval face lacking the beauty which usually defined his species._

_Suddenly he stopped, sniffing the air. Something had caught his attention, and he was determined to find it. He was in the middle of a town, the moon shining overhead, and with a new certainty turned and headed down a side street. He wove his way through the town, always quick on his feet and rarely faltering. Soon he approached a large building, and he slipped inside undetected._

_He was more excited now. Faster and faster he went, finally arriving at his destination. Taking a breath he flung open the door eager for his prey within. _

Alice came out of the vision with a gasp. She recognized that room.

It was hers.

Flying off the bed she grabbed her notebook, scanning frantically through the pages. She quickly found the page she was looking for, and silently read over the checklist she had made up over the years.

Vampires-Drink blood, super fast and strong, red eyes, sometimes have special powers, inhuman beauty.

Throwing the book away she held her head in her hands. She was on the edge of hysteria, trying in vain to calm herself. _Think clearly_, she told herself, _stay calm. _Panicking would not help the situation. But the thought of a vampire, coming into her room, following her scent, was terrifying.

She needed information. She wished, as she often did, that she could just remember. That she wouldn't need to read and reread her notebook every day, just so she could remind herself who she was, where she was at, and what was happening. It was exhausting trying to figure out your identity then having it slip away the moment you did. Isaac had to pin a nametag onto her, and she found herself checking it periodically, to assure herself.

Snatching the journal up she began to search. The entries were unorganized, written as brief flashes of memory came to her, and she scanned every page for information. She didn't _think_ she had seen him before, but it was hard to be sure.

She mentally went through every person, looking for any resemblance. Over the years she had seen many vampires, and Isaac theorized that she was specially attuned to the paranormal. Though the vampires terrified her, she found them to be fascinating, and she always tried to record descriptions of the ones she saw.

Alice scrolled through numerous entries, checking for a match. A man with blond hair and strange eyes, a woman whose beauty was beyond all comparison, a small girl with the face of a seraph - no, no, no, none of them matched. She read the final entry, knowing it wasn't what she sought yet drawing comfort out of the small sketch and description. Jaspers eyes stared back at her from the worn page, the only feature she had gotten exactly right. His gaze pierced through her and she stared at the picture with longing, wishing she could confide in him, take comfort in the presence of this stranger that she knew so well. She sat there for a moment, still, thinking about him, when a knock at the door jerked her out of her reverie.

There was only one person who ever bothered to knock and Alice smiled meekly as Isaac strode inside. Behind him he towed Jessie, a look of alarm on her face.

"M-Mary Alice, They said someone was coming, They told me I had to help you! They say it's one of Them, he'll be here in a day. I got Isaac as fast as I could, and we ran here. Did you see anything…?" She stopped abruptly with a look at Isaac, whose expression told Alice he was using his silent communication to calm Jessie.

"I saw him too, not five minutes ago. I just checked, and I've never seen him before-he's probably pretty young. Have you Isaac? He had light brown hair and looked rather plain." Alice's words were normal, but her tone was frantic.

Isaac shook his head. "No, I've met few of my kind, and this description doesn't fit any of those I have. Do you know when he'll be here? And what he wants?"

"I think," she paused for breath, staring up at Isaac with tear-filled eyes, "he may want me. I saw him stop in town, sniffing the air, and come to SMISH." She took a shuddering breath. "He came to this very room."

Isaac expression was solemn, and Jessie sat next to Alice, squeezing her in her arms. "It will be okay," she whispered into her ear.

"Jessie's right. Nothing will happen to you," Isaac spoke in a soothing voice. _He won't be able to hurt you. _Alice glanced up gratefully, trying to compose herself. She had a vampire on her side, after all. "He must have caught your scent in town and followed it here. We can hide you in Jessie's room, and I'll wait here to talk to him. I've never mentioned this before, Mary Alice, but you have a rather appealing scent, probably even more so to him if he's directly targeting you. I'm surprised he didn't detect my presence, but maybe he thinks I just passed through. Nevertheless, I'll talk to him and no harm will come to you." Alice nodded, staying in Jessie's arms, who continued to whisper reassuringly to her, when she realized the flaw in Isaac's plan.

"But I can't put Jessie in danger! That would be worse than anything."

"Mary Alice, I promise you that nothing will happen to you or Jessie. It's usually common courtesy not to hunt in another's range, and I doubt there will be much difficulty."

Alice took a deep breath. "I guess I'm rooming with Jessie."

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"Do you know what's happening?" whispered Alice to Jessie in the dark cell.

"Shh," she replied. "I'm listening."

They were sleeping side by side in the small bed, their thin bodies pressed closely together. After concentrating Alice knew that the vampire would be coming tonight, and Jessie had confirmed it. But try as she might, Alice hadn't been able to see anything else of tonight's interaction. She guessed the new vampire would make a split second decision when he encountered Isaac, and it was impossible to see the outcome until he did. Their only sources of information were Jessie's voices, which were relaying the nights events back to her. They were really very useful.

Alice whispered her situation over and over to herself. She couldn't forget where she was, not tonight, and tried as hard as she could to keep her thinking straight. Already she had nearly yelled out when she had forgotten where she was, but Jessie had quieted her just in time. Jessie lay next to her, head cocked and listening intently. She quickly began to relay information.

"He's in the room, surprised to see Isaac there. He's unsure of himself, and Isaac is introducing himself….James, he says his name is, but not in a nice manner….They are talking, Isaac claiming you as his, and he accepts this reluctantly….more talking….he's intrigued by Isaac's defense of you…..Isaac seems to be using his power to keep everything in check…he says he'll stay in the area for a couple of days and move on…He's left." She stayed quiet for a few more moments then shook her head. "That's all They'll tell me."

Alice nodded, her eyes closing. She was glad it had gone well….

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"Mary Alice," Jessie asked concerned, "are you okay?" Alice jumped. She grabbed two pills, trying to concentrate on the game.

"I'm fine. Just forgot for a moment there…." Jessie seemed to accept this, but shot Alice a troubled look.

"Okay. It's your turn." Alice took out a small screw she had found on the floor the other day, trying to shake off her unease. The thought of James being in town scared her, and she waited anxiously for the moment he left. She knew she wouldn't be able to breath easy as long as he was around.

_He was in the hall, waiting for them to come out. The nurse didn't even look his way, but he wouldn't have cared if she had; he had eyes only for his prey. He waited until Alice came out, then flew onto her, sinking his razor sharp teeth into her thin neck and drinking greedily._

"Mary Alice, what did you see? What happened? W-why are you looking at me like that?"

"James didn't leave. He'll be waiting for me when we walk to lunch. Go get Isaac now, tell him that he's coming. If I go he could, he could…" Alice couldn't finish her sentence as her breathing became shallower and she began to shudder. _I may only have a little time left_, she thought to herself. Jessie clasped her hand and looked into her eyes.

"You're going to be okay. And I am too. I'll go get him." She jumped up and ran out of the room; leaving Alice curled in a ball. She sat there alone, worry paralyzing her. James was coming for her. She thought bitterly of the unjustness.

It simply wasn't fair. Why was life always doing this to her? Could she ever have even a moment of happiness, a moment where she wasn't in pain or suffering? If only she had taken those pills, then she wouldn't have all these emotions. She looked down now at the small pile in front of her, and the idea was tempting. She could make all the pain end. She could even make everything end, she had enough of them. Just a couple of swallows, then blackness, that's all it took. What was she leaving behind? Trembling, she reached out her hand and grabbed five of the pills, bringing them slowly up to her mouth.

_Jasper walked through the town in the rain, sadness on his face. His beautiful features held a deep regret, but he continued on. Turning, he appeared to look right at her and broke out into a smile, the happiness on his face greater than any she had ever seen._

Alice threw the pills as she came out of her vision, appalled by what she had been about to do. Killing herself would be letting James win. She wouldn't do that. Jasper's face had given her hope, a small belief in a better future. She waited, sitting in the corner quietly, rocking back and forth….waiting. Jessie didn't return, and neither did Isaac. Hours passed, and Alice fell asleep.

She was shaken roughly awake by cold hands. "Come on Mary Alice, we need to go."

Alice looked up groggily into Isaac's red eyes. "What happened?"

"You saw a vision of James attacking you, and sent Jessie to alert me. I managed to intercept him before he entered the building, barely holding him off. He's determined though, and will continue after you. I took Jessie to town as a precaution, in case he decided to get to you through her, but we still need to keep you safe." As he said this he grabbed Alice in his arms and led her over to the couch.

"Mary Alice, I'm going to have to change you."

Alice gasped. He had never offered this before, yet it was something she wanted dearly. Now she would have the chance to start over, to become something more. "Okay."

He breathed deeply and leaned into her wrist, pulling it up to his mouth and sinking his teeth into her fragile skin. He did the same to the other wrist, picking her up and running out of the hospital at top speed.

Alice felt a small fire in her wrist, which soon grew, hotter and hotter, slowly moving through her bloodstream. The pain reminded her of the treatment, and strangely she didn't cry out. Isaac was sending her comforting thoughts, assuring her it was okay and that he was taking them to a wood where she could change without anyone discovering them. Tears trickled down her cheeks as the agony grew, the pain coursing through her entire being.

They were running still, Isaac's cold grip slightly easing the fiery torture. Alice was dimly aware that they were going at amazing speeds, buildings and trees rushing past. She heard Isaac swear under his breath, and felt him slow, setting her gently on the ground. The pain was more intense now, and she didn't register the prick of sticks and thorns into her back.

"He's coming. Stay over here, keep hidden. I'll be back for you soon." Isaac's voice was panicked, and Alice heard him run to a nearby tree, waiting for James.

A stir of leaves was all that alerted Alice of James presence. "You can no longer harm the girl, she is changing. Leave now, and get out of our territory."

James snarled loudly. "I will never understand you, caring for one of those miserable humans. What was it about her? She's a pretty little thing-you weren't attracted to her were you? Don't lie to me, I saw that. You care for her, and her pathetic little friend, and now you've taken her blood from me." Two snarls rose up, and a sickening bang as two rock-hard bodies crashed into each other. Howls of pain rose up as they fought, one out of vengeance and one out of compassion. Around her Alice could here trees breaking as the vampires threw each other, their battle seeming endless.

Finally there was a last keen and silence. Through her pain Alice heard footsteps approaching. James spat on her and ran, leaving Alice alone in her misery.

**OK, explanation for emo Alice. You might be screaming "OOC!" but let me attempt to explain myself. We've never known Alice when she's undergone a bad experience. Most of what we see of her is shopping, spending time with Jasper, or hanging out with Bella. She was very worried, however, when Edward went to the Volturi, though I think this was downplayed a bit for Bella's sake. Finally, if you lost all your memories, a vampire was hunting you, and you had 'treatment' every day, wouldn't you consider suicide?**

**The next part is Jessie's epilogue. If you honestly don't care, just scroll on down to the bottom and hit the review button now. If you do care, read it and THEN review. **

Jessie found respite with an old widow she met in town, and stayed with her until she was twenty. Determined not to impose on the woman any longer she left with what little money she had accumulated and traveled to Memphis. There she was swept away by the spiritualist movement of the twenties, and her séances were attended by the rich and wealthy. Her voices were rarely wrong, and over the years she accumulated a large amount of money from her nightly performances. After a while though she began to find the shows tiring, sick of greedy men constantly asking for winning numbers or racehorses, and stopped her act. In 1929 her voices warned her of the economy's impending collapse, and she moved to England where she settled down. Eventually she married and had two children, a daughter and a son, both the image of their mother.

Jessie never spoke to anyone about her knowledge of vampires, yet sometimes she would lay awake at night thinking of her years in the asylum, and the final night she said goodbye to her only friend. She never knew Alice's fate, yet was convinced that she was still out there, somewhere, hopefully happy with her life. Jessie died at the age of 67 with seven grandchildren.


	10. Newborn

**This chapter is dedicated to smexybella(e) and MyArtIsInWords**

**A lot of you seem to be under the impression that this story is over. IT'S NOT. Reread the summary.**

**Also, I was surprised by the number of people who weren't expecting Isaac's death. I mean, James says it himself, "I destroyed the old one out of vengeance.**"

**1920-1922**

Light. Sound. Color. Wind. Trees. Alice was suddenly aware of everything around her, each image, each smell, each sound.

She stood up slowly, marveling at the world around her. Everything was perfectly clear, even in the evening light, lines distinct and crisp. In the distance she could hear the wind blowing, and listened as it traveled through the forest, leaves shuddering in its passing.

Gradually Alice realized something was missing. The world around her was familiar, yet alien at the same time. She felt as if she'd awoken into another life, and she had no idea of her identity.

Which was something she would need to know.

She cast out for clues. For the first time she noticed what she was wearing – a long white robe that was ripped and torn, pieces of the material caught in nearby bushes. Underneath it her small body seemed to shimmer, glowing softly in the fading light. She noticed a small piece of paper on the ground and bent to pick it up.

It was torn, a huge gash slashing through the center, but Alice could see it had once been a nametag of sorts. The ink had blurred from dew, but when Alice looked closely she could make out the letters. A-L-I-C-E. Alice. She saw a small hole in the top, and with her enhanced vision found a matching hole in her shirt where the nametag had once been placed. So she was Alice. It was at least a start.

Moving forward, she encountered a small clearing, by the looks of it made recently and by some unknown force. Branches were snapped, plants trampled, and a large oak had completely broken in two. Something had happened here, something violent, and Alice wondered if it had something to do with her. Turning, she made her way back.

The wind blew again, this time bringing a strange smell. Alice stopped in her tracks. That smell, it was….mouthwatering. A strange intensity coursed through her. A thick liquid rose in her throat, and her eyes gleamed a deep crimson.

Food.

With a sudden sureness she sprinted through the wood, her strides light and quick. A sense of exhilaration flooded through her, the rush of one on a hunt for prey. An uncontrollable urge overcame her very being, a need greater than any she'd ever experienced. She wanted blood.

The aroma grew stronger, tempting her, moving her forward. Soon she could see her prey - a hunter who, in a strange twist of fate, was now the hunted. Without a second thought, Alice pounced.

She grabbed him quickly and snapped his neck, sinking her teeth into the warm soft flesh. She drank. It was sweet, oh so sweet, the wonderful liquid running down her throat, the blood satisfying her thirst. She gulped hungrily, greedily, emptying the man completely. Finished she licked her lips, determined not to loose a single drop. As she looked down at her hands, stained with blood, the word vampire sprang to mind. Strangely it made Alice smile. It was, after all, one clue to her identity, something she desperately wanted to find.

_A woman sat a wooden table, her face anxious. She held a baby in her arms, and around her were crowded several small children. Their faces were frightened, and everyone sat in a hushed silence. The woman's face looked tired and it was apparent she had been crying._

_A man walked in, his hat in his hands. "Anything?" the woman cried out desperately._

_The man shook his head sadly. "Ma'am, I think we can only say that your husband is dead."_

_Sobs wracked her body._

Alice came out of the vision with a jerk, her gaze falling on the corpse before her. She needed to get rid of it. Picking the man up and walking, she absentmindedly studied his features. Strange, but did his hair resemble that of the children's? And his eyes, they were that exact same shade. She had lifted up a boulder and laid him underneath when it hit her.

Oh God. Was he…their father?

Alice recoiled, horrified at what she'd done. The boulder slammed down, the echoes booming through the forest, but she barely noticed. What had she done? She had just killed that woman's husband! That woman, all alone, and with no one to support her. And the children…Alice grew more and more horrified at herself as the realized the consequences of her meal. Children had lost their father, a woman her husband – and it was all her fault. Around her the light seemed to darken and the wind felt icy against her back.

She had to get away, had to leave this place, where she, and she alone, had destroyed lives. Turning, she ran. Farther and farther, deeper and deeper into the vast forest. The sun rose and set, the moon danced across the sky, but Alice didn't notice. Over and over again she pictured the woman, breaking into tears. She could remember it with perfect clarity, every detail of the kill and its repercussions etched into her mind.

Sometimes as she ran the wind would bring the smell to her, that delicious aroma, and each time she was nearly overpowered by temptation. That sweet, succulent liquid that could be hers in a matter of moments, luring her onward….but each time she resisted, pulled back as the families' faces flashed into her mind. She wouldn't, couldn't do that again. Not her.

She dove into the very depths of the wood, to the dark and dismal part of the forest that remained completely untamed – not a human had set foot in here since centuries before. There was a quiet to it, a strange peace in this empty place, and here Alice found solitude.

She wandered here, for days, her thirst slowly growing as time passed. Constantly she battled with herself. She could turn around now, find a town…..no, no, no! She must resist, must conquer this. It was slowly breaking her to pieces. On the edge on insanity, she smelled something passing by.

Her instincts overpowered her. She raced towards the smell, leaping upon the shape and drinking greedily. Strange, but this tasted – different. Not as sweet, not as wonderful as before. She was soon done and cringed, shutting her eyes and waiting for the vision that would bring the consequences of her meal. Nothing came. Deliberating briefly, Alice finally opened her eyes and looked down.

A large brown creature lay before her. A deer. She had killed a deer. And now she felt….full. It hadn't been like before, that wonderful satisfaction as she fed, but it would do. For the first time in a week, Alice was happy. She didn't have to be a killer, live every day with the guilt of what she had done. She could rise above this.

She was Alice. And she was a vampire.

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The next few months Alice spent in the wood, feeding off of animals she found there. It was a peaceful life, but Alice found that life is somewhat dull when you spend your days alone with your visions and your nights sitting on a log. And sometimes, late at night, when the wind blew in the trees, and the coyotes howled, a shaking feeling filled her, and Alice could think of nothing than of how she wished she had someone with her. Someone to comfort her, to explain things, to reassure her. If she didn't do something soon, she would go insane.

What she needed was a goal, something to spend her time on. When she considered the idea, Alice could only come up with one thing – build up immunity to human blood. This way, maybe, someday, she could interact with them and cast away the loneliness that surrounded her.

She wasn't perfect. She wasn't even close. But she tried. And really, what more could you ask? Once a week, after feeding, she would venture away, try and build up immunity. It was trying, but slowly and surely Alice began to master her thirst. Every life she took in the process, every vision that accompanied her relapses, went on her personal tally.

As Alice became more and more controlled she would push herself further, even trying to interact with humans. She even found she liked them. They were friendly, though not always to her, and Alice found their lives fascinating. Everything about them was so different from herself – at night they laid down and closed there eyes, drifting into some strange state until morning, they ate plants and meat three times a day, and they looked different over time. Once Alice went into town at night to look for a little boy she'd seen in a vision, only to find that he was taller and his hair had changed. To Alice, humans represented everything she was not, and she loved one thing about them best of all: clothes.

When she had awoken, she had only had on her tattered robe, and one night Alice looked down at it to find it completely and utterly spent. That night Alice stole into a deserted warehouse, where she was amazed by what she found.

Clothes for your feet, for her head, for your legs, for your eyes, for your hands, it was astonishing! Even better, there was so much to choose from! She grabbed everything she could find then stole away to the woods to try and make sense of it all. Later she would laugh at the comical memory – her, strutting around with one stocking, a skirt over a pair of pants, a man's shirt, and a cowboy hat, feeling like the top of the world in her new outfit.

As she watched the humans, she began to construct a more appropriate wardrobe for herself, and when she did finally decide to try and interact with one, was very well dressed. The woman had stared, mouth hanging open at not only Alice's beauty, but her top-of-the-line stolen outfit. Alice, thrilled by the reaction, stole more and more clothes, finally accumulating a collection so large it was mind-boggling. If anyone had ever ventured to Alice's forest home they would have thought it a place for hanging laundry – for indeed, from over fifteen trees hung Alice's wardrobe from various branches and limbs, looking like forgotten people floating on the breeze.

Yet, as time passed, Alice yet again grew tired of her life. Watching humans, hunting animals, it was all getting old. She still craved company, to find someone like her, and from her visions she knew there were others out there. The other day she had seen a man with golden eyes find a woman dying, and he was just one of the many vampires Alice saw. But Alice felt as if she there was something in particular she should be doing, and it was not until the vision that she finally figured out what it was.

_A vampire with blond hair was sitting on a hill staring up at the stars, his face serious. He gazed up at them with a longing, as if seeking guidance from the heavens yet not liking what he was told. Finally he broke his gaze, shaking his head and getting up to leave. _

The vision was short, but seemed to hold great importance. A rush came through Alice, different than the rush of the hunt, but giving her that same giddy feeling. Jasper. The name was suddenly there, and Alice cast out for more, some other clue, but came up with nothing. Somehow, she knew that this was what she had been waiting for.

Gathering up some of her clothes in her hand she immediately set off. Alice didn't know how, and didn't know when, but at some point her and Jasper's fates would cross, and she would rather it be sooner than later. _This_ was what she needed to do.

**This chapter is a little choppier, as Alice is a newborn and her thoughts flit from one thing to another. Reviews are dearly appreciated, and if I like yours I'll even give you a dedication :)**

**I'm SO SORRY this took so long. Updates might be every other week now. Blame school.**


	11. To Be a Vampire

**Dedicated to dazzle me golden and Consultant by day. Because they're cool like that.**

**I do not own the characters of Alice and Jasper, or anything else in the Twilight universe. At the bottom is a short word-for-conversation, and I do not claim to own that either. I do own all of my OCs.**

**1931-1948 (nine years since last chapter)**

Alice sat down wearily on a rotting log. A tiredness seemed to weigh her down, chain her to the spot, and though Alice tried she could not make herself continue her search. Though her physical body was in perfect condition, her will was nearly exhausted.

Alice had learned finding someone was no simple matter. All she had to guide her were flashes of oceans or snippets of rolling hills in the backgrounds of her visions, and even these provided little clues. She'd poured over maps, scoured cities, but after nine years of constant searches she had been unable to find him. He was always slipping through her hands, like trying to hold sand--the moment it seemed like she had it it had already slipped silently through the cracks, leaving her grasp limp and empty.

The thirst was also wearing. Resisting was so difficult. Every human was more tempting than the last, and Alice hadn't hunted in days. It was the dead of winter, and game was scare. Her eyes were black with thirst. She sniffed the air hopefully, confused when the wind brought a different scent.

The smell was sweet, not one of food, but something else entirely. On an impulse Alice stood to follow it. The scent lead all through the woods, and as Alice followed it something told her that this wasn't quite right. She stopped, to find the forest deathly silent.

She took another cautious step forward, a twig snapping under her feet.

In a flurry of movements Alice found herself pinned to the ground, a female vampire on top of her.

"Who are you and what is your business on our territory?" The voice held no kindness.

"Do you have her, Elizabeth?" another female voice called from the distance, and Alice heard footsteps approaching. A figure knelt down next to her.

Alice decided her best option was to remain calm. She had never met another of her kind before; maybe pinning them to the ground was the appropriate protocol.

"My name is Alice. I was traveling and found this forest. I decided to hunt here, only haven't found anything."

The second vampire seemed to think for a moment and shrug. "She doesn't_ seem _like any trouble."

Eyeing her critically, Elizabeth nodded in agreement and stood up. "Come on." She turned and began to run in the direction Alice had been going. The other vampire followed, and after a moment Alice did too.

They headed to a clearing, and as the other two vampires stepped into the moonlight Alice was able to make out each one's features. The one called Elizabeth was tall with long brown hair that held a slight wave, a small rounded nose and full pink lips. Her brows arched perfectly over her brilliant red eyes, and the overall effect was one of a beauty that was simple and magnificent at the same time.

Her companion was smaller, almost as tiny as Alice herself, with short golden hair. Her movements were quick and hurried, especially compared to the other's grace. Her face was much the same as the other's, so much as they almost appeared to be relatives.

Elizabeth stopped and turned. "I'm Elizabeth, and this is my sister Samantha," she explained, confirming Alice's suspicions.

"I'm Alice." Alice said. These two seemed to like getting straight to the point.

Elizabeth nodded and sat down, signaling for her and Samantha to do the same. She was obviously the leader.

"So," began Samantha after a quick glance at her sister, "What's your story?"

"Well," Alice began, "I'm looking for someone. His name's Jasper. I've been searching for the last couple of years, but it's been getting harder and harder."

The sisters stared at her. "That's it?" Samantha asked.

"Yes." Alice said.

"What about your human life?" Elizabeth tried.

Alice was confused. Human? Apparently it showed.

"You know, before you were changed," Samantha prompted.

"I'm, I'm not quite sure what you're asking." That was her life, exactly as she'd said—she had awoken, decided to eat animals, and began a quest to find Jasper.

"Well," Elizabeth said as if talking to a small child, "everyone is born human, and some people are bitten by vampires. They are then changed into a vampire, and don't age. After that they don't need sleep, have enhanced abilities, and feed off of blood," she finished, ticking off the points on her fingers.

Human? She had been human once? Alice thought, but couldn't remember a time when she hadn't been a vampire. Her earliest memory was what she now referred to as her 'awakening'. She had awoken, and after that she had just…been.

"I guess I don't remember it." Alice spoke slowly. Elizabeth looked dubious, but Samantha's gaze was sympathetic.

"Well, as Elizabeth said, we're sisters," Samantha began, and proceeded to tell about their lives. She spoke of her childhood in the eighteen hundreds, riding out west on a wagon train, and living with their family in Oregon. At the age of sixteen, she explained, Elizabeth had been changed by a vampire who believed her to have a power, only when she didn't the vampire was quick to be rid of her. Elizabeth had then gone back for her sister and changed her, and they'd lived together from then on.

It was a nice story, and Alice found herself drawn to the girls. She had never met another vampire before, and the experience was fascinating.

"What do you mean, 'powers'?" she asked at the end of the account.

"Some vampires have extra talents," Samantha explained, "but it's really rare. We've never actually met anybody with one, but others have assured us of its truth." Alice nodded.

The girls talked for a while longer, the moon rising higher and higher in the sky. Finally Elizabeth stood.

"We need to hunt. You can join us Alice, if you wish." Despite her earlier coldness, the invitation seemed genuine.

"Actually," Alice paused. She wasn't sure exactly how this worked. Did vampires hunt in groups? How was that done? And did others hunt as she did, not killing humans but drawing life from animals? With a glance at their eyes, she again took in their brilliant crimson, much like her own in her first year and whenever she had slipped. It was obvious they hunted humans. And Alice had sworn that off years ago. She tried to think of an appropriate response, but decided that a simple answer would be best. "Actually, I feed off of animals. I'll just hunt on my own." A shocked expression passed Elizabeth's face, which soon turned to amusement.

"Suit yourself."

She turned to leave, Samantha following. Alice went in the opposite direction, feeling strange as she listened to the girl's footsteps dim.

She had learned so much today. The idea that she had once been human had never crossed her mind. It just didn't make sense. From the way Samantha spoke, it wasn't something you forgot, but Alice didn't remember anything of a life before her awakening. Paired with the fact that her visions were above the norm even for her kind, she had a lot to think about.

She succeeded in finding a bear and fed quickly. She was excited to go back to the girls. She liked them, Samantha at least, and wondered if they could even be friends.

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The girls returned to the clearing hours after Alice, laughing and happy. They talked exuberantly of their hunt, delighting in their recounts. They stopped the moment they saw Alice.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Samantha asked politely.

Alice nodded.

Elizabeth eyed her critically. "You should really come with us. It's not natural to feed like that."

"No, thank you, I'll just do this if you don't mind," Alice declined, as she continued to do so over the next couple of weeks. She wasn't exactly sure why she was staying with them, but it seemed natural. They seemed to expect her to stay, so she did. The girls fed nearly every other day, their hunting trips taking most of their time. When they weren't hunting they were planning, their thirst dominating their every thought. They tried to include Alice in these conversations, and she joined, but as more and more time passed it was obvious that she'd become a sort of joke for them. Her ways seemed alien, strange, and Alice hated feeling like an outsider.

One day she accepted their offer to hunt, convincing herself she would just watch, if only for the sake of belonging.

The first time this wasn't a problem. Yet finally, after her third hunt, she couldn't resist. Elizabeth and Samantha were careless, often making a mess, and the temptation of the human blood was too much.

Alice fed.

It was as wonderful as she remembered, the blood sliding down her throat with a thrill. She delighted, drinking her fill as the other girls did the same.

At the end a vision came, but after concentrating she could almost completely ignore it. Shoving it in the back of her mind, where she wouldn't have to think of it made it easier. She repeatedly justified herself, with Elizabeth's encouragement. It was just the way things are….this is who she was…. after a while, Alice began to seriously believe it.

As days passed she began to hunt regularly with them, feeding excessively. The blood was so luxurious, so heavenly, not like the animals. They were disgusting, she realized—why have moldy bread when you could have a feast? The rush of the hunt, excitement of the kill, it was so much better with humans. She even found suppressing her visions wasn't all that hard once she worked at it, and after a while it didn't bother her as much. She ignored them the best she could, even the ones that didn't accompany a hunt. What had the talent ever done for her, she asked herself. Led her on a mindless quest to nowhere and nothing. She was glad it was over with.

Besides regular hunting, she even began to get in on the sisters' more elaborate plans.

"Listen," Elizabeth announced one morning, "I've found a family of delicacies." 'Delicacy' was the word used for an especially good smelling human.

"Where?" Samantha asked eagerly.

"In the city. Four of them, two parents and two children, enough for all of us." She was smiling broadly. "They'll be difficult, but I think we can do it."

They plotted. Apparently, the family was important—their disappearance wouldn't go unnoticed. Elizabeth and Samantha were experts at elaborate schemes—tracking delicacies was one of their favorite pastimes.

At this Alice felt herself grow uneasy. Elizabeth had shown her how dieting on humans was natural, and after learning to ignore the visions it wasn't nearly as bad. But something about this…in taking such pleasure out of this, seemed strange. Elizabeth, noticed her reluctance.

"What, you're not considering backing out are you? Trust me, this will be a lot better than what you used to do. It's like nothing you've ever tasted before. Samantha and I do it all the time." Her tone was teasing, but Alice felt a trace of a threat behind this remark: join in, or be excluded.

Alice shook her head laughing. "Of course not." She hoped they didn't hear her voice wobble.

Two days later the plan was carried out. It went flawlessly, with everyone performing perfectly. They ended up getting the entire family, and divided it between the three. They feasted, celebrating the kill, and by the end were already planning another.

Alice participated in another one of their schemes not two months later. This time they were only after one human, which went to Samantha, but Elizabeth assured her that the next one would be hers. This seemed like a big deal, and Alice accepted the offer with a smile.

For the first time, she fit in. Those years she had spent roaming alone all seemed pointless now. Why spend uncomfortable nights on a pointless search that would likely lead to nowhere when she could live happily here, with Elizabeth and Samantha? She told herself this again and again, justifying her decision. Yet at the back of her mind, Alice always had a trickle of doubt. Most of the time she suppressed it, not wanting to cause an issue. But sometimes, sometimes it snuck up on her, the insecurities washing through her and leaving her exhausted.

It was this she was dealing with now. Something had been nagging at her all day, and when Elizabeth asked if she wanted to come hunting, Alice had declined. She just wanted to be alone.

She was in the clearing, standing on a rock, mulling over mindless topics, when a sight caught her eye.

A cat had found a small den of mice, and was playing with them. Its eyes shone huge as it picked one out to be it's victim, then patted it back and forth in a way more harsh than necessary. The cat's eyes gleamed as the mouse tried to escape, often letting it get close, then grabbing it back at the last minute. This went on for a while, the cat's blows growing increasingly harsh, until finally the small mouse's body grew limp. With delight the cat dragged it over to a spot, then returned and picked out another mouse.

It continued like this, and Alice felt a sick twist in her stomach. Something about this was all right. She needed to know how it ended. For the first time in months, Alice checked for a vision.

_The mice all lay in a pile dead, as the cat licked his lips and gingerly picked one up with his teeth, savoring the moment._

She gasped. Something about the whole scenario was very wrong. And then the onslaught began, like water rushing over a broken damn.

_A baby being left alone when her mother never returned from her trip to the woods._

_A young woman peering out the window for her fiancé, knowing in her heart he wasn't coming home._

_The sobs of a grandmother as she realized her daughter would no longer be there._

_Relatives coming in to find their only family gone. Then tears when they learned that the 'wood ladies' had taken then._

And on and on and on.

Alice sat suddenly and began to cry. She wept without tears, her body heaving with sobs as she mourned. She was no better than that cat, killing victims who didn't stand a chance, doing it for pure enjoyment. How had she let herself become like this? Looking back, it was clear she had been lonely. Elizabeth and Samantha had seemed older and wiser, and Alice needed to be with someone. The day they had found her she had been despairing over not having Jasper, and she'd used them as fillers, the presence of others foreign to her, yet wonderful at the same time. She'd allowed herself to be swayed by their ways, her desire for company so great that she sacrificed her deepest morals. It was wrong, so terribly wrong what she'd done, and struggling Alice worked quickly to form a new plan.

_A family with golden eyes sat around a table, laughing. "Tell him that joke Carlisle," a woman called. The blonde man across from her smiled, and began to recount the joke._

It w as like a sign. With a sudden clarity, Alice knew what she needed to do She would leave. She would find Jasper, and together they would search out that family, where they wouldn't live like beasts, but, but….

Alice struggled for words. Ironically, the only thing that came to mind was human.

She stood up and ran.

Over the next couple of days Alice thought about her time with Elizabeth and Samantha. She hated to remember it, hated to think of what she'd done and who she might have become. She locked the experience away in the back of her mind, rarely thinking about it, yet not having the luxury of forgetting. Alice would only focus on Jasper now, nothing else. She knew where that would lead.

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_He was in a city, walking through the rain. __He appeared uncomfortable, glancing around at the humans as if believing that one of them would suddenly turn and reveal him for what he was. But no one did, and he continued, turning onto another street. A diner was ahead, the words "Philly Diner" in the window, and almost without a thought, he stopped. Opening the door, he stepped inside._

Alice came out of the vision with a laugh. This was it, what she'd been waiting for. She was going to find him. It would be okay.

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Alice stepped lightly through the streets, her heart singing. Overhead the clouds were ringing with thunder of a storm to come, but Alice knew she wouldn't be outside for the rain.

Around another corner….there it was. A small building in the middle of the street, with the words "Philly Diner" written in the window in faded red letters. Everything was exactly as she had seen. He would come here, and here she would wait.

She walked into the diner, taking a seat by the counter. It was nearly empty, with only half of the booths filled. The place a homey feeling to it, and when she ordered a cup of hot chocolate the woman smiled warmly at her, saying "Nothing like a good cup of hot chocolate to fight away a miserable day." Alice smiled and nodded, knowing that this day wasn't miserable, but heavenly.

Outside Alice watched as it began to storm, the rain pelting on the windows. The drops slid down the glass, making beautiful patterns.

She could have looked to see when he would come, but there was something in the anticipation that made her not want to. She waited, her hot chocolate going cold, knowing it would be today, knowing it would be soon.

At the window a shadow passed. Someone was walking by. A moment later the door swung open, and in walked a dripping figure. It was him. He was here, as she had known he would be. She smiled. A feeling of immense happiness swept over her, knowing she had finally found him. Alice hopped down from the stool and walked over to him. His eyes were a deep black, but his face was the same perfect face from her visions.

"You've kept me waiting a long time."

He dipped his head. "I'm sorry ma'am."

Alice held out her hand, and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, Jasper took it.

**Squeal, JASPER!!! Yay! What do you think of Elizabeth and Samantha's story? I didn't know how they would go over, but we couldn't just have seventeen years go ZIP, right? And I wanted Alice to learn a little about her world. Please, please, review! I WANT to know what you think. Truly, I do!**


	12. Jasper

**Dedicated to ****boundlessxlabyrinth**** Cause her review made my day. Strike that, my week.**

"What's your name?" Jasper asked. For a moment Alice could only smile. He was here, in the flesh, looking like the most beautiful creature imaginable.

"Alice," she replied.

He nodded politely. "I'm…"

"Jasper," she finished for him, staring up into his eyes and unable to look away. He was so perfect. Every word, every expression sent a thrill through Alice as she recognized it from her visions. She let out a laugh as his face twisted to one of confusion and grabbed his hand.

"Let's walk." He nodded, seeming somewhat surprised by her forwardness, yet complied. It was all so clear to Alice now—they would be together, never leaving each other's side, and would join the Cullen's and become a part of that family. Alice could see glimpses of visions already, her and Jasper sitting at a family table, their wedding. It would all happen.

She led him swiftly outside the diner, out into the pouring rain, and ducked through a side street. She had seen the perfect place for this conversation when she had first gone through Philadelphia in search for the diner she had seen her and Jasper meeting in. If she remembered right it was just round another corner…there.

Alice skipped over to the small bench, beckoning for Jasper to do the same. They were in a park, sitting under the canopy of a large tree that protected them from the rain. The seat was just the right size for the two of them, and looking around Alice realized they were completely alone. The rain had driven everyone else indoors, and the deserted park had a peaceful feeling about it. It was as if the whole place was theirs and theirs alone. Alice thought of all her years of searching, knowing it was all worth it if only for this moment now.

She looked up into Jasper's eyes, losing herself in the crimson depths. For a moment they both simply stared, mesmerized by the very sight of one another. Finally Alice broke the silence.

"I'm going to tell you a story.

"Twenty-six years ago I awoke in a small wood, not knowing who I was or what I was doing. All I had was a tattered nametag with the name 'Alice' scrawled on it and a craving for…human blood." She took a deep breath. "I probably would have gone insane, killing constantly and making a mess. In fact, I came very close to doing so. But I found that every time I took a human life I had a vision.

"This vision showed me the consequences of my actions. They were glimpses of the future, and I've learned that these come to me. It's my gift I believe, these flashes of things to come, and they happen often. As I saw again and again the repercussions for killing I found that I couldn't continue to take human life. I looked for an alternative and soon found it—the blood of animals.." Here she saw Jasper's face twist, and without giving herself a moment to pause marched on. "But those visions weren't nearly as important as a vision that was to come—my first vision of you.

"I remember having the vision. I was sitting on a log, the cold surrounding me, despairing in my loneliness. Then I saw you. You were sitting on a rock, just staring up at the sky, the loneliness on your face reflecting my own. I knew I had to find you. It was like…we were meant to be. Something about the visions of you told me that I must seek you out, meet you and be with you. It took many years, but finally I succeeded. I saw you in the diner three months ago, and moved out here immediately. Ever since then I've been waiting for you to arrive."

She carefully took his hand in hers. "We were meant to be together." Alice permitted herself to look up into his face.

Confusion. Doubt. Caution. Disbelief.. . and then, as Alice was slowly beginning to transcend into panic, a new look completely. One of acceptance.

"This is strange for me. I mean no offence, ma'am...Alice," he corrected after seeing her hurt expression, "But what you just told me sounds crazy." Here he paused, staring down at his hands. "Yet I've gotten used to crazy over the last hundred years or so. I don't know if what you say is true, or if what you believe will happen, but your emotions don't lie." He stopped, again staring deep into her eyes, searching. She gazed back into his and their eyes locked. Time stood still as they searched each other, a silent communication passing between them. At first they were tentative, each still guarded, yet this slowly dissipated as each became lost within the other. Their two pairs of eyes melded together in the penetrating stare, red mingling with gold. Soon something new grew between them, something exponentially stronger.

Lifting their clasped hands, they both smiled.

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"This is where I've been…staying," Alice explained, holding out her hands at the small clearing. It was rather nice in Alice's opinion, the forest almost having a quaint feeling to it. It was just outside of Philadelphia but there was a surprisingly diverse variety of animals.

Therefore she was somewhat dismayed to find that Jasper was not, in fact, admiring her perfect stargazing spot or the beautiful maple in the corner of her home, but was instead staring skyward, eyes open in surprise. For a moment she thought he had seen some sort of strange bird, but scanning the sky Alice saw it clear and empty. Then she finally understood what it was he was seeing.

"Do you like my closet?" she giggled.

"That," he began incredulously, "Is your wardrobe?" She nodded.

"That tree," she pointed, "Is my 'camouflage' tree, for when I'm out with humans. Just normal clothes that I won't be noticed in. But my favorites are those," she pointed to a group of ten or so trees to their left. From them hung beautifully elaborate dresses in every shape and cut, each shaded from the elements by a careful arrangement of leaves. There must have been a hundred dresses hanging there, not even counting the petticoats and slips hanging beside them. Alice led the still gaping Jasper over.

"I don't really have a use for most of them," she admitted shamelessly, "but this one is my wedding dress." She was staring proudly up at a beautiful white satin dress hanging delicately on the bottom limb of the maple. Tiny white stitching decorated the small bodice, creating intricate patterns of flowers and animals. It was perfect for Alice—small yet elegant, elaborate yet simple. She stared at it with such longing she didn't hear Jasper catch his breath.

"You're…engaged?"

Alice turned and laughed. "Of course not silly. It's for when I marry you." Wasn't it obvious? She had only seen the wedding earlier today, but she had been expecting the vision for a while. When she had seen this in a store window in New York five years ago…how was she to resist?

Apparently Jasper wasn't thinking the same thoughts. "You...how did you explain it…_saw_ us getting married? When we just met today?" His voice sounded panicked, and Alice couldn't help by wonder what he was so worried about.

"We don't have to get married today," she giggled. Jasper still looked distressed, and Alice immediately regretted her teasing tone. She hadn't meant him to take it this way. Slowly she walked over to him, taking his hand and sitting down.

"I don't want you to be sad about it," she whispered. He looked over at her, his face guarded.

"How often are these visions of your right?" Alice thought to herself for a moment.

"I'd say seventy-five percent. They change, you see, depending on a last minute decision, a choice not in the original plan." Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. Alice searched his face carefully, trying to understand what he was thinking.

His next question surprised her. "What other visions have you seen of us?"

"Us traveling together, our wedding, you hunting animals, us meeting the Cullens," seeing his confused glance she hurried to explain. "They're a family of vampires that drink animal's blood like me. I would have met up with them earlier, but I was too busy looking for you." She shrugged.

He seemed to consider something for a moment. "What do you know about these Cullens? The ones you want to meet up with?"

"Well, they have five people in their family, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett, and like I said before they all drink animals blood. Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett are around our age, late teens, and Carlisle and Esme are older. They're kind of like the parents." She sighed. "I can't wait until we find them."

He still looked uncomfortable. "Alice, are you sure about their relationship? That they are a family, and not….something else?"

"Of course they're a family. What else would they be?"

He reluctantly explained. "Vampires tend to bond together for convenience. Most travel in ones or twos, three in rare occasions. But with five people, they would seem big enough to be a miniature army." Something about the thought made him shudder. "I'm done with that," he whispered softly.

"From what I can see, they're just like any other family. I've seen them together, and they're definitely not just there for 'convenience.' Really Jasper, they're a family. They talk together, tease one another, and love each other."

Jasper looked disbelieving. "I didn't think such a thing existed."

"And before today you didn't even know me." For a moment she simply smiled. "We're going to have such a future together."

He shook his head, a smile creeping across his face too. "Exactly how soon will this all happen? Us, traveling, meeting the Cullens, getting married?"

"As soon as you want it to."

Jasper stared curiously at her. "I've never met anyone like you before. It's almost as if the visions change time for you, the way you act. I can't quite describe it…the way you live in the future and present all at once." He shook his head in confusion.

"Is that a bad thing?" Alice worried. She knew she was special, even for a vampire, but maybe she had misread all the signs. Did her ability not make her unique, but strange?

Jasper quickly abated her fears. "Not to me." He leaned in slowly, his lips finding hers.

**Review! I took a month off (December…things happened I'd prefer not to get into) but I'm back!**

**I hate to beg…but I've started a new story and it's ****lonely**

**So what did you think? Review!**


	13. Together

Spring of 1949

"Are sure you're ready?" Alice asked, looking into the face above her.

Jasper sighed, but forced a smile for Alice's sake, tightening his arms around her. "Now or never."

She nodded, holding him close. "I've checked, nothing should go wrong. The nearest human is a 132.7 miles away, and I'm here if anything happens. I'll follow you as you go, and you needn't worry about me getting anything; I fed the other day. Just concentrate. I'll be right behind you," she added for a second time.

He laughed, the sound shaky. "I don't even know why I'm making this so hard. It's just a dumb animal after all. Not a big deal."

Searching him one final time, Alice checked his emotions. She could read him almost as well as he could others, sensing a mix of love and anxiety with a hint of impatience. Untangling her arms from his, she stood back into the shade of a tree.

Jasper took a deep breath, flicking a glance towards Alice. He tightened his fists and clenched his teeth, lifting up his face to sniff the air.

Catching a scent, he began to run.

It was different from any other hunt he'd ever been on. Instead of racing through alleyways of cement and metal he was out in the wild, leaves stirring beneath his feet and trees whipping by. His path wasn't straight and clear but twisted and winding, one dictated by nature and not man. Behind him his acute hearing picked up the sound of Alice following, keeping a careful distance as she monitored his future. He knew she would see nothing yet; he was taking the steps, following the creature, but his decision wasn't made.

Alice, a few moments behind, was aware of this but wasn't worried. In fact, one with eyes sharp enough to follow her might even say she looked carefree. Her steps were so light she seemed to be skipping through the forest, a wide smile across her face as she followed her love. Her confidence in him was complete.

The scent grew stronger, and the couple knew that within seconds they would be upon the creature. From past experiences Alice recognized it as a deer, and sure enough through the leaves she could make out a faint brown outline and a pair of antlers. She stopped, not wanting to startle the creature, and watched as Jasper drew closer to the unsuspecting animal.

To a normal human the scene would have been only hazy shapes, but Alice watched the entire scene with a crystalline clarity. Jasper ran at the creature at top speed, his eyes tight. At the last possible moment he slowed, breaking his run by reaching out to take hold of a tree and snapping it with a thunderous crack. The buck, alarmed by the crash, darted through the undergrowth and Jasper did not follow, simply watching it go as his eyes squinted with frustration.

Cautiously Alice climbed to where Jasper had stopped.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded. "That was pretty pathetic, wasn't it?" He stared at the fallen tree. "Bested by a stupid animal," he growled.

"It's okay," Alice soothed. "We can try again tomorrow, if you like. It's just new to you, that's all. I didn't expect you to get it the first time."

He sat in silence, an edge of embarrassment vibrating in the air. Alice couldn't help but smile, and seeing her he grinned ruefully back.

"I guess it's just so strange to me. And that _thing _smelled so disgusting…." He shook his head.

"Do you want to go back?"

"No. I'm going to do it."

And this time, Alice could tell he was sure. He would do it, just like she had known.

He ran again, pursuing the buck. It took only seconds to reach where the animal was now grazing, and there was no hesitation as Jasper leaped onto him, sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of the animal's neck. As he began to drink his face contorted to an expression of absolute disgust, and Alice wondered if it was possible for vampires to gag. Yet he persevered, drinking entirely. Finishing he shook his head as if in a daze, looking up to find Alice watching him with a smirk.

He frowned. "What's so funny?"

She shook her head. "You look like a human child who's mother just forced them to eat their vegetables."

Jasper smiled. "I never did like eating anything green." Alice laughed and walked over, sitting down on the ground and beckoning him to do the same.

"So how was it?" she asked, the question containing thousands more. How difficult had it been? Could he maintain a diet of this sort? Would he?

"It was. . .different," he decided. "It really does taste horrible, I've no idea how you live on that stuff. And yet. . ." he gripped his hands in the ground, crunching the leaf litter into dust without notice. Alice nodded in encouragement as he searched for words. "It _felt_ peaceful. All the times I've fed off humans, I've felt as they felt. I knew their instinctive fear as they saw me, the anxiety as I raced forward, the mix of terror or remorse or hate upon their death. I experienced death a thousand times. After today I think I'd almost grown numb to it; it was necessary, my personal burden. But this. . . I was free. I didn't have to feel that. It was almost nice, however unappetizing," he joked weakly.

Alice turned his head sideways, tilting her head into his. She felt his cool breath on her lips, and his forehead resting gently against her own.

"So what you're saying is, I was right."

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"What did you see?" Jasper asked casually, tossing a stick idly into the air. Beside him a small wrist flicked out and caught it, smiling smugly at his empty hand.

"The Cullens. They're moving again, trying to figure out where to go." She spent a moment calculating, her face blanking briefly as a quick succession of visions flashed before her.

"I think they'll go to Chicago. They're considering some other places, but Edward seems to have a house there. They should be easy to locate." Next to her she heard a quiet sigh.

"What?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Why must we find them? "

"Because it's where we belong," she said with utmost certainty.

Jasper looked at the sky. "How can you know?" It came out harsher than he had meant, and he saw the hurt flash across her eyes. Jasper knew Alice thought she was making the best choice by leading them to the Cullens: but could she really be sure? She was so young to their kind, innocent and naïve. He knew what groups meant. Despite her assurances, maybe she was simply misreading everything. It was easy to miss the signs when you didn't know what they were.

"Why don't you tell me?" she whispered, taking his hand in her own. He looked at her, startled by the curiosity she felt.

"Tell you what?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head as if it was obvious. "Tell me about before. Why it makes you distrust the Cullens. My gift may lie in the future, but don't think I've forgotten you have a past."

How could she read him so well? But he shouldn't have been surprised: their gifts seemed to always twine them endlessly closer. They felt each other, knew one another's mood without words. They knew where they were going, where they had been, and where they were. The two of them were one.

And how could he tell her what may only be the rock that shattered her dream? Jasper had delayed the inevitable conversation for as long as he could: he'd always had his doubts, even after her original assurances. It was always two steps away, a bridge he'd cross when his path took him that way. There were other things, his diet change, their relationship, that had come first.

She felt his hesitance, glaring at him. He thought it made her look even more adorable.

"Tell me," Alice commanded.

Jasper took a deep breath. "It was 1863. I was a Major in the Confederate army, leading civilians away from the fighting to Houston. We had taken a long time getting there, and I was eager to be back in time for any fighting," he smiled, musing in memory. "It was my dream back then: to be a war hero, the general that lead the Confederacy to victory. I was quite determined."

"It was on the way back that I met them. I was just a couple miles outside of town when I saw three women, each strikingly beautiful. For a moment I only stared at them stunned—three gorgeous creatures sat before me, and I could only sit speechless. You and I both know now what they were, and how much danger I was in at that moment. I was about to become a meal. But one of them saw potential in me, potential that saved my life, and changed me."

"Then followed the pain. Three days of it, as you know….or I guess don't know. It's so strange you don't remember," he glanced at her, puzzlement in his eyes, but she simply nodded for him to continue.

"I woke up to her face, the one who changed me. Maria was her name, and she was like you in a couple ways, small, jet black hair, but a face that spoke of her Mexican heritage. She kept a distance from me, knowing the strength of newborns, but also knowing their flaws. She had a human with her. I wanted it with every fiber of my being. I had to pledge loyalty, give my life to her, to have my meal. In my thirst I said yes without a thought.

"Then I met the others. There were eight of them, all in their first year of their vampire lives. Maria had changed us all. Together she trained us. We were taught how to fight, how to organize attacks and to kill quickly and efficiently. Soon she sent us on raids of cities, us newborns wiping out the vampire population and then giving control of the land to Maria. All sorts of things were told to us: we were taking back land that they had stolen, the other vampires had killed Maria's friend and had to be avenged, we were creating a kingdom of sorts. Sometimes one of us died, but there wasn't sadness. Instead Maria would scout for another candidate, someone who could help her succeed. We were an army, and that was how we worked.

"Eventually, though, our newborn strength waned. We were just vampires, now but a burden. I realized later that this was when Maria struck: she killed everyone off, everyone that had outgrown their uses. Except for me. By now Maria had seen what I could do with emotions. She decided to let me survive, help her command her little army.

"For decades, this was life. Bloody, brutal battles, always preparing, always planning. Newborns came and went—sometimes I made friends, but it was always better not to. It was unlikely they would survive between the constant violence and the yearly weeding. And then there was Peter. I liked him. He was a skilled fighter, though it was obvious he didn't enjoy it. He was allowed to live and became in charge of the newborns. We sometimes talked, though it was usually strategy. Still I will never forget the time he told me a story about him and his brothers, playing in a lake. He got the strangest look in his eyes, one I will never forget.

"A couple years later he left with a woman he loved. I didn't follow. Then one day he returned for me, telling me of a peaceful life of traveling in the north. I went without a second thought.

"And that's it. I traveled with them for a few years, then went off on my own. I felt like I was looking for something—and then I found it," he finished, smiling down at Alice. For once his face seemed completely free, the muscles relaxed in his retelling. He was truly at peace looking down at his love, and the air hummed with content. Unconsciously he put his hand on Alice's face, carefully gliding down her jaw before reaching up gently to tuck back a stray strand of hair.

When he spoke again, his voice was just a whisper. "I can't have you going to that. You mean the world to me, and I have to know that this family you want us to join is the right kind. You wouldn't recognize the signs: not if the visions only showed you certain things. I just need to know…." She put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"Shhhh." She leaned in and kissed him. Her arms reached around his neck and pulled him close.

"I know. And I wouldn't want anything to ever happen to you," she said, breaking the kiss. "But this is something I _know. _There's a bond in this family, a real love that binds them together. I can feel it in the visions, and the only thing it reminds me of is what I feel with you. I have this feeling that we need them, and somehow they need us.

"But we don't need to go right away. We can travel together for a while, and maybe you'll get stronger. Then, when you want to, we'll find them. Would you want that?"

He smiled, kissing her in answer.

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Though no one was there to see it, shapes whirred around the newly completed carving of Mt. Rushmore. They seemed to be playing a sort of moonlight tag, one figure briefly igniting on a nose or brow before setting off again. It was a delicate dance, a silent serenade under the stars. Finally a melodic laugh rang quietly out and a soft voice whispered "Gotcha."

--

A small boat sat silently on the black lake, small ripples spreading occasionally as it rocked. The evening was serene and peaceful, with soft voices floating gently around in the night breeze. All of a sudden there was a commotion, and a figure flew out of the boat while another giggled with mirth. Moments later the boat was capsized from beneath, and two figures treaded effortlessly in the water, laughing.

--

Niagara Falls was completely void of tourists at this time of night, though somewhere in the rushing waters perched two vampires, completely unaffected by the current. They stood at the top, holding hands, then leaped into the air. Down and down they fell, finally landing in the water beneath and emerging unharmed, ready to climb back up and do it again.



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And they traveled.

Together.

And they were happy.

**Review, my darlings.**


	14. Meet the Family

**So I was looking at my story and in earlier chapters page breaks are missing. I'm guessing they disappeared when fanfiction reformatted. So if you're a newer reader and you thought parts sounded awkward, there was probably a page break there. I would fix it, but I modified the files even after they were on fanfiction and I'm not sure I'd want to go through and make all the corrections again.**

**On with the show.**

"So you're just going to walk up to their home and introduce yourself?"

"Exactly."

"And have you not considered at all what the normal vampire reaction to this would be?"

Alice couldn't resist a smirk. "I already _know _their reaction."

He shook his head. "Of course." She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss.

"Now let's go." She began to walk quickly and purposefully, not wanting to run for fear of damaging her precious wardrobe. They had divided the numerous outfits between the two, and were carefully picking their way toward the current Cullen home. Before Alice had always mailed her closet ahead of wherever she was going, but apparently the last time one of her favorite dresses had been lost. Now they resorted to carrying everything, and Jasper silently hoped that the Cullen's would accept them if only because it meant he didn't have to lug dresses behind him wherever he went.

"Careful with that!" Alice admonished lightly. Jasper looked down to find that a small corner of red fabric had begun to trail on the ground. Sighing he hoisted it back up. Alice smiled.

"_This _is why I love you Jazz."

They continued up the small gravel road, which wound its way lazily through lush outskirts of Missoula, Montana. For once the cities' residents had been blessed with brilliant weather, and the vampire couple sparkled magnificently in the sun. Jasper had pointed out that it would be more practical if they arrived at Cullens' at night, but Alice simply shook her head and declared that too "cliché." So instead they walked in plain sight, unworried as Alice monitored human activity and simply enjoying the day.

Alice, of course, was nearly bursting with excitement—she had been waiting years for this day, and already knew exactly how the entire thing would play out. While for most people this would take away all aspect of surprise, it only seemed to heighten her enthusiasm. Jasper nearly expected her to start skipping, she was so jittery. And she wasn't the only optimistic one. Even if it weren't for his ability her spirit would be catching, and for once Jasper was really looking forward to meeting the Cullens. He was ready.

As they walked the gravel road became a smooth concrete driveway, winding proudly back through a careful and elaborate landscape of trees and flowers. At its end sat a brick red mansion, with a presence 

likewise to a lord overlooking his servants; proud and protective, giving a feeling of safety and peace. The house had a seemingly endless layout, with towers and rooms peeking from behind the main façade. Everything spoke up utmost luxury--the four upper windows all had brilliant wide balconies, while a huge pane of glass above the front door displayed a chandelier of such complexity and elaborateness it must have cost thousands. Huge marble columns flanked the ebony-colored double doors. It was there that Alice headed.

She walked confidently, her small figure weaving through shortcuts and paths in the landscape that Jasper could only do his best to follow. Still, it was difficult, and hearing a small giggle he realized that she was already at the door, completely familiar with everything from her visions. How he loved that, her easy familiarity with the things she saw. She belonged everywhere, always knowing where to go and what to do without the usual pains of trial and error. It gave her a radiance which none could outshine.

"Hurry up, slowpoke," she called lightly, motioning him forward with her hand. Jasper hastened to the door, silently wondering which trait defined her more; the radiance or her impatience.

Reaching her he raised his eyebrows, wondering exactly how much she knew about the confusion they were undoubtedly going to create for this family. She only smiled deviously, shifting her clothes to one hand and reaching out to press the doorbell. Suddenly serious, she turned to Jasper and nodded, letting him know to monitor emotions. There was an anxious second of waiting, and then the door opened.

"Hello," greeted a tall blonde, appearing in a simple suit which could only mark him as the doctor and head of the family, Carlisle Cullen. He smiled warmly at the two, his expressions freezing momentarily as he noticed their yellow eyes. "My family and I noticed some newcomers had arrived. Won't you come in?"

Alice skipped lightly inside, Jasper following behind her. "You have a beautiful home," she complimented. "My name is Alice, and this is Jasper. We should probably meet with everyone; there are a couple things we want to discuss with you, and Rosalie and Esme should probably be there. It's too bad Edward and Emmett are away today, but that's just how our timing worked out. I kept telling Jasper again and again that we needed to get here sooner, but he just kept wanting to wait…." Jasper shot her a warning look as he felt Carlisle's confusion growing. Leave it to Alice to not consider the normal reaction to Alice's knowledge of all the family's names, not to mention how it was Alice leading them through the house despite the fact she'd never been there before.

She merely laughed. They had reached a huge dining room and in the center a large oak table sat grandly. Carlisle, attempting to regain his role as host, nodded for them to sit down and took a place next to Esme and Rosalie. Both had arrived upon after hearing the conversation in the hall.

Esme was peering at the newcomers curiously, apparently evaluating any danger this tiny girl and her charismatic companion might have on her family. Rosalie, however, was eyeing the enormous pile of clothes that had been deposited in the corner, interest sparkling in her eyes as she smiled tentatively at the newcomers.

"It seems we have quite a bit to discuss," Carlisle began, placing his hands on the table. He seemed to think for a moment, wondering where to begin. "Why don't you begin by explaining why you've come." There was no hint of unwelcome in the statement, only blatant curiosity.

"Well Carlisle," Alice began, "We all know that many vampires have special abilities. My gift is that I can see the future. This is the reason why I know all of your names and who you are. And it's the reason I'm here with Jasper. Everything began a few years ago, when I woke up in a clearing.

"I was completely alone. There was a nametag by me that said Alice, and I figured that must be my name. Immediately I felt the bloodlust. I killed." Carlisle nodded for her to continue. "But it didn't feel right. Whenever I killed I _saw_ the consequences of my actions. My visions showed me the families, the lives, everything that had been and was being ruined…because of me. So I ran, and along the way found a deer. I fed. There wasn't a vision, and somehow everything felt peaceful. I decided that that would be how I lived.

"Then I saw Jasper. I knew I needed to go to him." She stopped her story, instead taking Jasper's hand in her own. He knew without words he was to finish.

"Alice finally found me in Philadelphia two years ago. To be honest at first I thought she was a little crazy. She said she'd 'seen' me, that we were meant to be. She had her wedding dress picked out," he chuckled lightly at the memory. "I was scared to death. But something pulled me toward her, something that was deeper than any rational thought I had about the strangeness of the situation. So I stayed with her.

"I have an ability too, one that came when I was changed. I can feel emotions around me, and manipulate them to a point. When I hunted humans, I felt everything they felt. I _died_ every day. When Alice told me there was another way, a peaceful way, I decided to try."

Jasper took a deep breath, and for a moment his hands shook ever so slightly. "It hasn't been easy. I'm not used to living like this, and I think that's part of the reason Alice brought me--us here. Because I would do anything for her, anything, but sometimes I can't…." He faltered, staring down at the table. A split second later he was completely composed.

"Sometimes I can't control myself. And we need help. Alice can't be with every moment I hunt. There are times we have to be separated, times where….where things go wrong. We need others like us if this is going to work. And that's why we've come here."

Everything was quite. Carlisle nodded sympathetically, understanding in his eyes. Finally Esme spoke.

"Well, you are welcome to stay with us. Alice, why don't you come with Rosalie and I and we'll find somewhere for you and Jasper to stay?" Giving a quick look at Carlisle Esme stood up and led Rosalie over to the enormous pile of clothes still sitting in the corner of the room.

"Rosalie, will you take that bunch over there while I get these? And Alice dear, would you get the rest? Now we have plenty of room, so we'll find the perfect place for you to stay. I'll show you the upstairs first."

Alice watched politely as Esme gave her an extensive tour of the house. It was apparent she was quite proud, and with good reason. The home was absolutely beautiful. It has taste and class, a gentle timelessness to it that every homemaker aspired to. All the while Rosalie trailed behind quietly appraising Alice's every reaction. She wasn't hostile, simply guarded. It was obvious a newcomer would take a while to be accepted by her and Alice was prepared to wait.

Of course, for Alice the tour was simply a formality. She'd picked out her room already.

"This," Esme announced as she opened the door, "is my son Edward's room. If he's not at his piano you'll find him here, though it isn't much. I think I may redecorate it sometime soon, to give it a newer feel. Maybe try a shade of green," Esme wondered. She turned to leave.

"Esme," Alice began, putting on her sweetest smile, "I was wondering if there might be a chance of Jasper and I moving in here. The view is absolutely gorgeous, and it's going to such a waste with all those bookshelves against the walls. Maybe we could move Edward's stuff to one of the downstairs rooms, so he could be closer to his piano?" Her wide smile was innocent as she walked around the room.

Esme paused for a moment. "I don't know dear….maybe we should wait until Edward's here. Why don't we…" she stopped as Alice held up her hand and a blank look passed across her face.

"Oh good, he'll be fine with it! Let's put his stuff in the garage for now so I can start unloading my clothes. Of course we'll also need some furniture, but the question is whether to use the extras in the attic or buy our own…." Alice wondered as she began gathering Edward's things up.

For a moment Esme and Rosalie could only stare. Apparently they had just witnessed their first vision. Slowly they each regained their composure and, with lack of better thing to do, began to help. Within minutes the room was completely empty and the three began the task of finding places for the voluminous wardrobe.

"This is absolutely gorgeous!" Rosalie exclaimed as she held up a vintage red gown from the bottom of the pile. Her eyes poured over the intricate detailing and drape.

Alice smiled. "I thought you'd like it. I don't know if it will fit perfectly, but I decided it was around the right size. Go try it on!"

Rosalie gaped for a moment then hurried to put on the dress. In seconds she was back, circling slowly as she marveled over the elaborate garment.

"Perfect!" Alice clapped her hands. "Oh I was so hoping that it would look right on you. When I saw it I just _knew_ it was meant for you, so I convinced the tailor to give it to me instead of that local girl who ordered it…..she wasn't going to be happy with it anyway."

Rosalie smiled, her earlier guardedness momentarily dissipated. "We should go back together sometime—those local girls have amazing taste." Alice laughed lightly and beckoned Rosalie over to look at another outfit, the two of them exclaiming over various elements and delighting in their common sense of style.

Esme watched silently from across the room, her expression turning warm as the girls sorted together. Alice was like a long lost daughter. Something about this quirky little vampire spoke to Esme, made her want to care for her as she had all her other children. Jasper and Alice would be the perfect additions to the family.

"I'm glad you're setting in well." Carlisle appeared at the door, Jasper by his side.

"Very," Alice chirped. Her face momentarily went blank. "Oh good, Edward and Emmett had decided to come home! I've been looking forward to meeting them!"

Jasper shook his head. "Crazy little vampire."

--

"We're back!" Emmett boomed as he and Edward walked casually up the driveway, their eyes glowing a light honey. From her spot in the garage Alice beamed.

_Hello Edward! I'm Alice, your new sister. Jasper and I just moved in, and we decided that your old room would be the best place. It's great to meet you!_

"Great Alice," Jasper mumbled beside her. "Now he's all alarmed. You could have gone for the traditional spoken introduction, you know." She waved her hand dismissively, grabbing Jasper and dragging him forward for the verbatim part.

"Hi Emmett, Edward. I'm Alice and this is Jasper, and we're staying with you guys. Emmett, I noticed you didn't seem happy with what you got this trip, but don't worry that plan to try farther north will work out excellently. And Edward I can't wait to help you redecorate a new room—I know Esme's been dying to do it, and this will give her the perfect chance!"

Carlisle walked over to the four his eyes dancing with mirth as he shot a glance at Edward and Emmett, both of whom were looking extremely confused. "Alice, Jasper, I see you've met the family."

**Reviews equal love. I'm expecting one to two more chapters, plus an epilogue.**


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